THE 


UNITED   STATES 

SANITARY  COMMISSION 


A   SKETCH  OF   ITS  PUEPOSES  AND  ITS 
WORK. 


COMPILED  FROM  DOCUMENTS  AND  PRIVATE  PAPERS. 


PUBLISHED    BY    PERMISSION. 


BOSTON: 
LITTLE,   BROWN   AND    COMPANY. 

1863. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1863,  by 

LITTLE,  BROWN  AND  COMPANY, 
in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


RIVERSIDE,   CAMBRIDGE: 
STEREOTYPED  AND  PRINTED  BY  H.  O.  HOUGHTON. 


The  entire  profits  of  this  Book  are  for  the  treasury 
of  the  United  States  Sanitary  Commission. 


IT  may  be  necessary  to  inform  the  reader  that  this 
Book  does  not  originate  with  the  United  States  Sani 
tary  Commission,  nor  with  any  of  its  Officers.  But  it 
is  written  by  one  who  has  served  with  the  Commission 
from  the  first,  and  who  may  claim  to  comprehend  its 
purposes  and  its  work,  and  to  relate  its  facts  with 
accuracy. 


-84598 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

PART  I. 
ORGANIZATION-. 

PAGE 

Aspect  of  the  war  to  women 2 

Women's  meeting  in  New  York,  April  25,  1861;  plan  to  cen 
tralize  work 3 

Dr.  Bellows  gives  advice,  and  goes  with  others  to  Washington . .  3 

Address  to  Secretary  of  War,  May  18,  1861 4 

Acting  Surgeon-General  to  Secretary  of  War,  May  22,  1861  ....  9 

Powers  asked  from  Government,  May  23 12 

Secretary  of  War  establishes  Commission,  June  13,  1861 16 

Attitude  of  Government  to  Commission.   Objections  removed  by 

experience 19-21 

Army  recognizes  value  of  Commission 22 

Names  of  members 22 

Executive  Committee  begins  work  at  once  and  meets  daily 23 

Special  merits  of  most  active  members 23, 24 

Present  General  Secretary 25 

Associate  members,  present  number  over  500 25 

To  whom  should  Commission  look  for  money 25 

INSPECTION. 

Permission  to  inquire  into  sanitary  condition  of  the  Army 26 

Inspection  begins  at  once  in  armies  of  Potomac  and  West 28 

Twofold  duty  of  inquiry  and  advice 28 

Physicians  needed  as  inspectors,  and  found  ready  to  serve 29 

Standing  of  present  inspectors;  duties  in  camps  and  camp  hospi 
tals  30 

Their  influence 31 

Effect  of  sanitary  inquiries,  and  influence  of  a  good  regiment. .  32 

Treatises  on  sanitary  subjects  distributed 33 

Army  surgeons  ask  for  fresh  copies  of  these  treatises 34 

Inspectors'  reports  tabulated ;  1470  up  to  this  time 34 


viii  CONTENTS. 

PAQK 

Inspectors'  duties  in  the  field 35 

Statistics  of  Crimean  army 36 

Statistics  of  present  war 37 

Special  inspection  of  army  general  hospitals  38 

Standing  of  these  Inspectors;  respect  paid  them  by  Surgeon- 
General  39 

Office  of  Statistics,  data  obtained  from  Adjutant-General's  office  39 

Department  of  Vital  Statistics 40 

Value  of  this  statistical  work  for  the  future 40 


BRANCHES.— SOURCES   OF  SUPPLY. 

Relations  of  men  and  women  in  service  of  the  Commission 41 

Waste  of  unorganized  efforts ;  mistake  of  sectional  work 43 

Broad  principles  of  Commission  appreciated  by  the  people 45 

Sacrifices  made  in  country  homes 46 

Council  held  in  Washington,  November,  1862 46 

Closer  relations  with  auxiliaries 47 

Circular  letter  from  branches 48 

Relation  of  branches  to  central  body 48 

Western  branches:   Northern  Ohio,  April   20;  Cincinnati,  No 
vember  27, 1861 49 

Circular  of  December  13th,  1861 52 

Supplies  issued  from  Western  branches,    September,  1861,  to 

September,  1863 ; 5& 

Eastern  branches   53 

Business  done  in  storehouses  of  branches  55 

Accounts  sent  in  weekly  from  branches  and  relief  agents 56 

Five  storehouses  in  Washington,  and  care  used 57 

Only  one  case  known  to  be  lost  out  of  20,000 57 


PART  II. 

GENERAL  RELIEF. 

Work  of  relief  began  after  Bull  Run,  July,  1861 58 

Extract  from  Mr.  Knapp's  Report,  August  25,  1861 59 

System  of  current  supply,  1861-62 60 

ARMIES   OF   VIRGINIA.    Peninsular  Campaign,  1862 62 

Commission  applies  for  steamers  to  use  as  hospitals 62 


CONTENTS. 


PA3E 

Secretary  of  War  gives  order;  the  "  Daniel  Webster"  assigned 

to  Commission,  April  25th  ..............................  62 

Reaches  York  River,  April  30th.  First  sick  men  received,  May  1st  63 

"  Daniel  Webster  "  sent  to  New  York.  "  Ocean  Queen  "  fitted  out  63 

"  Ocean  Queen  "  sent  off  ...................................  65 

At  West  Point.    First  wounded  men,  May  9th  ................  65 

Services  of  Commission  on  Government  boats  ................  66 

Despatching  "  Knickerbocker  "  and  "  Elm  City  "  .............  66 

Return  to  Yorktown.  "Daniel  Webster"  arrives  May  llth; 

sails  May  12th  .........................................  67 

"  Elm  City  "  goes  north,  May  14th.     Routine  of  work  ........  68 

"  Knickerbocker  "  goes  north,  May  17th  ......................  69 

Division  of  work  ....................  .  .....................  69,  70 

Army  at   White  House,  May  16  ..............................  71 

Commission  Transport  at  White  House,  May  17.  Lady's  letter, 

May  18  ...............................................  73 

"Daniel  Webster"  in  May  19th,  sails  20th.  "Elm  City"  and 

"Knickerbocker"  in  20th  ..............................  72 

Efforts  to  establish  system  ;  difficulties  in  the  "way  .............  73 

Recall  of  boats  to  Quartermaster's  Department,  and  retransfer  to 

Commission  ...........................................  74 

Commissariat  of  Commission  ...............................  75 

Scenes  on  the  transports.    Lady's  letter  ......................  76 

Night  excursion  in  a  storm.     Lady's  letter  ...................  79 

Another  excursion  to  bring  in  sick  men.    Lady's  letter  ........  80 

Battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  June  1,  1862.     Commission  ready  ........  82 

Confusion  on  Government  boats  ;   Commission  assists  ..........  83 

Hospital  kitchen  tent  brings  great  relief  ......................  84 

Letter  of  member  of  Commission  visiting  the  transport  ........  85 

Prepare  for  change  of  base,  and  leave  White  House  ...........  88 

Norfolk,  June  30,  1862  ...................  '  ..................  89 

Harrison's  Bar,  July  1.     Lady's  letter  .......................  90 

Medical  Department  better  prepared;  Commission  leaves  all  but 

work  of  supply  ........................................  92 

Commission  Inspector  at  Norfolk  for  a  year  to  supply  armies  of 

Virginia  ..............................................  94 

Depot  at  Norfolk  left  to  Relief  Agent,  August,  1863  ............  95 

Two  inspectors  sent  to  Cedar  Mountain,  August,  1862'  .........  96 

Commission  in  charge  of  trains  of  wounded  going  to  Washington  96 

Second  Battle  of  Bull  Run,  August,  1862  .....................  96 

Government  supplies  captured  ..............................  97 

Commission  supplies  sent,  and  inspectors  act  as  surgeons  ......  97 


X  CONTENTS. 

PAdB 

Commission  at  Centreville 98 

Battle  of  Ant.ietam,  September  17, 1862 99 

Dr.  Agnew's  letter.  Sanitary  Commission  ahead  of  all  other 
supplies,  104.  Need  of  system  of  transportation  for  Medical 

Department,  105 100-107 

Depots  at  Sharpsburg,  Harper's  Ferry,  and  Manassas 107 

Battle  of  Fredericksburg,  Dec.  13,  1862.    Commission  on  hand. .   108 

Special  Relief  party  arrives,  December  15th 109 

Dr.  Douglas's  account.      Distributing  clothing,  111.      Feeding 

wounded  at  the   Landing,  112 109-115 

Chant  ellursville,  April  27,  1863.     Agents  with  every  corps 116 

Lodges  and  Homes  near  the  Army 118 

Routine  of  Lodge  at  Acquia  Creek 118 

Army  moves,  Commission  with  it,  June  12th,  1863 120 

Commission  stores  saved 120 

Commission  stores  in  Frederick  concealed  while  the  Rebels  were 

there 121 

Gettysburg.  June,  1863.     Commission  under  fire 122 

Distribute  supplies  before  and  during  battle 122 

Two  officers  of  Commission  taken  prisoners 123 

Relief  Station  for  wounded 123 

Lady's  account  of  "  What  we  did  at  Gettysburg."  Tents  of  sta 
tion  and  routine  work,  127.  Feeding  men  before  the  trains 
start,  129.  Ambulances  too  late  leave  men  on  the  hands 
of  Commission,  130.  Gettysburg  women,  kind  ;  farmers 
otherwise,  132,  133.  Pluck  of  girl  living  near  the  field,  134. 
Death  of  Rebel  Lieutenant,  136.  16,000  good  meals  and 

1200  night's  rests  in  these  three  weeks,  142 124-143 

Surgeon  and  corps  of  dressers  fully  employed.    Cook-house  with 

ten  cooks 144 

Surgeons  and  supplies  sent  with  every  train 145 

Camp  Letterman  Hospital  and  Sanitary  Commission  Station  at 

Gettysburg 145 

Testimony  of  Surgeons  of  General  Hospitals  near  Gettys 
burg 146 

Field  Relief  Corps  gives  an  agent  to  every  army  corps 148 

Report  of  Relief  Agent  with  2d  Army  Corps 149 

ARMIES  OF  THE  WEST 151" 

Lack  of  Reports  from  Western  Department  of  Commission 15r 

A  week  after  Commission  organized,  its  President  started  for  the 

West 153 

Work  began  at  once  in  Illinois  and  in  Missouri 153 


CONTENTS.  xi 

PAGE 

Commission  Inspectors  at  St.  Louis,  November,  1861 155 

Western  Sanitary  Commission  wholly  separate  society,  founded 

September,  1861 156  ' 

Western  Sanitary  Hospitals  in  St.  Louis;  U.  S.  Sanitary,  care  of 

Post  Hospitals 156 

U.  S.  Sanitary  moves  with  the  Army  to  the  interior 157 

Western  Virginia.     Commission  at  Wheeling 158,  159 

After  Gauhy  Bridge 160 

Kentucky  and  her  sufferings 160 

Inspection  and  supplies 161 

Sanitary  Commission  at  Fort  Donelson 161,  162 

'•  City  of  Memphis  "  Floating  Hospital,  February,  1862 163 

Depot  at  Nashville 164 

Battle  of  Shiloh.     Commission  with   supplies    and    two    large 

steamers 165 

Dr.  New  berry's  account 166 

Issues  from  the  depot  at  Shiloh 166 

Plans  for  Receiving  Hospitals  and  cooking-caldrons  adopted  . . .  167 

Hardships  of  Commission  agents  in  routine  work 169 

After  the  brittle  of  Perrymlle 170 

Making  and  distributing  soup  at  Danville 171 

Sectional  aid 173 

Hospital  cars 174 

Letters  of  U.  S.  Medical  Director  and  Surgeons,  and  Major-Gen 
eral  Sheridan  . . . .- 175-178,  174-177 

Army  of  Tennessee  moves  to  Yazoo  River,  Commission  with 

it,  May  and  June,  186-3 178 

Better  diet  got  for  the  Army  by  Sanitary  Commission 179 

Gen.  Grant  gives  Commission  a  boat  for  stores 179 

Gifts  from  Western  Sanitary 180 :/ 

Supplies  issued  in  May  and  June,  1863 180 

After  full  of  Vicksbury,  July,  1863 181 

Every  Agent  with  that  army  has  suffered  in  health 182 

Supplies  to  White  River,  Arkansas,  to  Kansas  and  Indian  Terri 
tory  182 

Army  if  the  Cumberland  accompanied  by  Commission  agents. . .   183 

Supply  of  vegetables,  and  making  hospital  gardens 184 

Produce  of  garden  at  Murfreesboro 184 

Letter  of  U.  S.  Medical  Inspector  with  Gen.  Rosecrans 185 

Current  supply 186 

Order  of  Gen.  Rosecrans 187-189 

Army  and  Commission  advance  together,  July,  1863 189 


xii  CONTENTS. 

PA<3E 

Health  report 190 

Battle  of  Chattanooga,  September,  1863 191 

Letter  of  Sept.  24, 1863.  Supplies  ready  before  the  battle,  193. 
Work  during  battle,  194.  Supplying  temporary  hospi 
tals,  197 ." 191-199 

ARMIES  OF  THE  GULF  AND  ATLANTIC  COAST 201 

Ship  Island,   Dec.  1861.      Commission  Inspector  with  General 

Butler's  expedition 201 

Inspector  visits  Key  West 202 

Assistance  to  Navy,  by  supplies  to  gunboats 202 

Crowding  of  transports 203 

Stores  distributed  in  New  Orleans 204 

Field  of  Commission.     Work  in   Gulf  Department  summer  of 

1862 205 

Expedition  to  the  Teche  Country,  March,  1863.    Baton  Rouge 205 

Commission  in  wake  of  army  on  Red  River 207 

Port  Hudson,  May  27  and  June  4,  1863 207 

Officers  acknowledge  services  of  Commission 208 

Woman's  Union  Aid  Society  in  New  Orleans 208 

Army  in  North  Carolina,  January,  1862 208 

Timely  relief  at  Hatteras,  Roanoke  Island,  and  before  Newbern  209 

Remedy  for  bad  Avater  suggested  and  adopted 212 

Expedition  to  South  Carolina,  October,  29,  1861 212 

Vaccination  of  troops 213 

Special  corps  sent  to  Port  Royal,  February,  1863 213 

Bad  arrangements  for  wounded  on  transports 215 

Commission   now  at  Beaufort  and  Charleston.      Storeship  in 

Charleston  harbor 215 

Extract  from  "  Port  Royal  Free  Press,"  and  letter  of  Mrs.  Marsh  217 

Extract  from  Boston  paper 218 

General  order  of  General  Gillmore 220 


PART  III. 

SPECIAL  RELIEF. 

Care  of  discharged  soldiers  on  the  way  home 221 

The  "  Home  "  in  Washington 222 

Care  at  landing  of  men  coming  from  the  Army 223 

Internal  arrangements  of  the  "  Home  " 223 

What  was  done  at  the  "  Home  "  in  nine  months. . .  . .  225 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

PAGE 

Lodges  near  railroads  and  U.  S.'  Pay  Department 226 

Collection  of  pensions  and  back-pay 227 

Lodges  at  6th  Street  Wharf  and  Alexandria  Railroad 228 

"  Soldier's  Rest  " 229 

Convalescent  Camp 230 

Nurse's  "  Home  " 230 

Question  of  continued  care  of  invalid  soldiers 231 

Hospital  Directory 234 

Anecdotes  ..  ..235 


CONCLUSION. 

What  means  has  the  Commission  had  for  its  great  work 238 

Mr.  Bloor's  letter  to  the  Branches 239 

Estimate  of  value  of  goods  contributed 240 

Liberality  of  Telegraph  and  Express  Companies,  &c 240 

Amount  of  money  received 241 

Complaints  and  answers 243 

True  work  of  women  in  General  Hospitals 246 

Medical  Department 249 

Reformed  by  Act  of  Congress,  April,  1862 250 

Present  Surgeon-General,  and  his  measures 251 

Sanitary  Commission  as  a  teacher 253 

Extract  from  "  Atlantic  Monthly  " 254 

Appendix  A.    Resolutions  on  Mr.  Olmsted's  resignation,  and 

roster  of  the  Commission 259 

"        B.    Circulars,  June  21  and  22,  1861 261 

"        C.    List  of  surgical  monographs 266 

"        D.    List  of  Inspectors  of  General  Hospitals 268 

"        E.     Circular  letter,  and  answers  to  complaints 271 

"        F.    Chicago  Branch,  and  appeal  to    soldiers'  fam 
ilies  282 

"        G.    Supplies  to  Army  of  Potomac 284 

"        H.    Help  for  prisoners  in  Richmond 285 

"         I.    Hospital  cars 287 

"        K.    An  officer's  account  of  his  feelings  towards  the 

Commission 288 

"        L.    Expressions  of  gratitude  from  private  soldiers  . .  293 


THE 

UNITED  STATES  SANITAKY  COMMISSION. 

PART  I. 

ORGANIZATION. 

THE  Sanitary  Commission  is  the  great  artery 
which  bears  the  people's  love  to  the  people's 
army.  The  following  pages  will  show,  briefly, 
and  in  some  sense  superficially,  how  the  people's 
confidence  has  been  given  to  it ;  what  were  the 
motives  of  that  confidence,  and  the  reasons  for 
it ;  and  how  it  has  been  justified. 

When,  in  April,  1861,  the  guns  of  South  Caro 
lina  were  pointed  at  the  life  of  her  country,  and 
the  first  shots  were  fired  at  the  breast  of  that 
august  form  of  Liberty,  lifted  here  in  the  West, 
and  shining  with  an  aspect  of  redemption  to  the 
world,  men  were  aroused  to  vindicate  the  vital 
principle  of  nationality  :  and  in  that  great  up 
rising  nothing  was  more  marked  than  that  the 
principle  which  actuated  the  men  was  shared 
alike  by  men  and  women.  As  the  men  sprang 
to  arms,  the  women  rose  to  find  what  they 

should  do;  nor  had  they  far  to  seek.     For  one 
i 

-84598 


2  THE   UNITED   STATES 

side  of  war  is  theirs,  and  that  the  dark  reverse 
of  it;  theirs  not  only  in  the  patient  act  of 
yielding  their  beloved,  —  to  receive  them  back, 
it  may  be,  in  widowhood  and  bereavement,  — 
but  theirs  in  the  actual  succor  which,  God  be 
thanked,  it  is  their  right  and  their  place  to  ren 
der  to  the  suffering.  This,  no  doubt,  was  the 
first  aspect  of  the  work  to  the  hearts  of  women. 
Time  was  to  show  them  that,  by  a  great  united 
effort,  the  work  was  to  broaden  out  into  a  ma 
terial  good  to  the  whole  army ;  that  lives  were 
to  be  saved,  the  vital  force  protected,  and  that 
women,  guided  by  the  wisdom  of  men,  were 
to  bear  no  small  part  in  helping  to  maintain 
the  efficiency  of  the  army,  and  thus  to  share 
upon  the  field  itself  the  work  of  husbands  and 
brothers. 

As  the  men  mustered  for  the  battle-field,  so 
the  women  mustered  in  churches,  school-houses, 
and  drawing-rooms,  —  working  before  they  well 
knew  at  what  they  ought  to  work,  and  calling 
everywhere  for  instruction.  What  were  they 
to  do  ?  Where  were  they  to  send  ?  The  busy 
hands  went  on,  but  where  was  the  work  to  go  ? 
Some  fitted  out  regiments  ;  some  sent  to  vari 
ous  points  on  suggestions  afterward  shown  to 
be  unreliable  ;  some  sent  any  where,  rather  than 
nowhere.  Little  circles  and  associations  were 
multiplying,  like  rings  in  the  water,  over  the  face 
of  the  whole  country  ;  they  were  all  in  need  of 
direction,  information,  guidance,  and  they  felt  it. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  3 

At  a  meeting  of  fifty  or  sixty  women,  infor 
mally  called,  in  New  York,  April  25th,  1861,  the 
providential  suggestion  of  attempting  to  or 
ganize  the  whole  benevolence  of  the  women  of 
the  country  into  a  general  and  central  associa 
tion  ripened  into  a  plan,  and  took  shape  in  an 
appeal  addressed  to  the  women  of  New  York, 
and  others  "  already  engaged  in  preparing 
against  the  time  of  wounds  and  sickness  in 
the  army."  This  met  with  such  an  answer  as 
showed  the  deep-felt  need  of  it :  —  and  thus  com 
menced  the  "  Woman's  Central  Association  of 
Relief."  But  still  the  need  of  instruction,  and 
the  futility  of  trying  to  carry  on  the  association 
without  better  knowledge  of  the  work  to  be 
done,  pressed  anxiously  on  the  minds  of  all. 
Then  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bellows  —  out  of  the  many 
men,  professional  and  other,  who  had  come  for 
ward  in  the  right  relation  of  men  to  women, 
to  teach  and  guide  —  was  ready  with  the  true 
advice:  "  You  want  inquiry  from  the  only  cor 
rect  sources.  You  must  find  out  first  what  the 
Government  will  do,  and  can  do,  and  then  help 
it  by  working  with  it  and  doing  what  it  cannot. 
You  must  have  advice  derived  from  the  Govern 
ment."  Accompanied  by  a  few  gentlemen,  after 
wards  members  of  the  Commission,  he  went 
to  Washington,  and  discovered  there,  in  that 
moment  of  national  emergency  and  inadequacy, 
the  need  of  a  far  larger  machinery,  and  a  more 
extensive  system  than  that  already  contem- 


4  THE   UNITED   STATES 

plated  ;  and  so,  through  details  which  need  not 
delay  us  here,  he  formed,  he  gained  the  basis  of 
"  The  Sanitary  Commission."  The  wisdom  and 
devotion  of  one  man  gained,  on  that  day,  foi 
suffering  humanity,  the  greatest  relief  ever  per 
haps  wrought  out  by  any  human  organization. 

The  following  extracts  are  passages  from  the 
letter  to  the  Secretary  of  War  which  initiated 
that  relief,  and  in  which  is  found  the  first  sug 
gestion,  on  record,  of  "  The  Sanitary  Commis- 


AN  ADDRESS  TO  THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

To  THE   SECRETARY  OF   WAR  : 

SIR  :  The  undersigned,  representing  three 
associations  of  the  highest  respectability  in  the 
City  of  New  York,  —  namely,  the  Woman's 
Central  Association  of  Relief  for  the  Sick  and 
Wounded  of  the  Army,  the  Advisory  Commit 
tee  of  the  Boards  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
of  the  Hospitals  of  New  York,  the  New  York 
Medical  Association  for  furnishing  Hospital 
Supplies  in  aid  of  f he  Army,  —  beg  leave  to  ad 
dress  the  Department  of  War  in  behalf  of  the 
objects  committed  to  them  as  a  mixed  delega 
tion  with  due  credentials. 

These  three  associations,  being  engaged  at 
home  in  a  common  object,  are  acting  together 
with  great  efficiency  and  harmony  to  contribute 
towards  the  comfort  and  security  of  our  troops, 
by  methodizing  the  spontaneous  benevolence  of 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  5 

the  city  and  State  of  New  York  ;  obtaining  in 
formation  from  the  public  authorities  of  the  best 
methods  of  aiding  your  Department  with  such 
supplies  as  the  regulations  of  the  Army  do  not 
provide,  or  the  sudden  and  pressing  necessities 
of  the  time  do  not  permit  the  Department  to 
furnish;  and,  in  general,  striving  to  play  into 
the  hands  of  the  regular  authorities  in  ways  as 
efficient  and  as  little  embarrassing  as  extra- 
official  cooperation  can  be. 

These  associations  would  not  trouble  the  War 
Department  with  any  call  on  its  notice,  if  they 
were  not  persuaded  that  some  positive  recogni 
tion  of  their  existence  and  efforts  was  essential 
to  the  peace  and  comfort  of  the  several  bureaus 
of  the  War  Department  itself.  The  present  is 
essentially  a  people's  war.  The  hearts  and 
minds,  the  bodies  and  souls,  of  the  whole  peo 
ple  and  of  both  sexes  throughout  the  loyal  States 
are  in  it.  The  rush  of  volunteers  to  arms  is 
equalled  by  the  enthusiasm  and  zeal  of  the 
women  of  the  nation,  and  the  clerical  and  med 
ical  professions  vie  with  each  other  in  their 
ardor  to  contribute  in  some  manner  to  the  suc 
cess  of  our  noble  and  sacred  cause.  The  War 
Department  will  hereafter,  therefore,  inevitably 
experience,  in  all  its  bureaus  the  incessant  and 
irresistible  motions  of  this  zeal,  in  the  offer  of 
medical  aid,  the  applications  of  nurses,  and  the 
contribution  of  supplies.  Ought  not  this  noble 
and  generous  enthusiasm  to  be  encouraged  and 


6  THE   UNITED   STATES 

utilized  ?  Would  not  the  Department  win  a 
still  higher  place  in  the  confidence  and  affec 
tions  of  the  good  people  of  the  loyal  States,  and 
find  itself  generally  strengthened  in  its  efforts, 
by  accepting  in  some  positive  manner  the  ser 
vices  of  the  associations  we  represent,  which  are 
laboring  to  bring  into  system  and  practical  shape 
the  general  zeal  and  benevolent  activity  of  the 
women  of  the  land  in  behalf  of  the  Army?  And 
would  not  a  great  economy  of  time,  money,  and 
effort  be  secured  by  fixing  and  regulating  the 
relations  of  the  Volunteer  Associations  to  the 
War  Department,  and  especially  to  the  Medical 
Bureau  ? 

Convinced  by  inquiries  made  here  of  the  prac 
tical  difficulty  of  reconciling  the  aims  of  their 
own  and  numerous  similar  associations  in  other 
cities  with  the  regular  workings  of  the  Commis 
sariat  and  the  Medical  Bureau,  and  yet  fully 
persuaded  of  the  importance  to  the  country  and 
the  success  of  the  war,  of  bringing  such  an  ar 
rangement  about,  the  undersigned  respectfully 
ask  that  a  mixed  Commission  of  civilians  dis 
tinguished  for  their  philanthropic  experience  and 
acquaintance  with  sanitary  matters,  of  medical 
men,  and  of  military  officers,- be  appointed  by 
the  Government,  who  shall  be  charged  with  the 
duty  of  investigating  the  best  means  of  meth 
odizing  and  reducing  to  practical  service  the  al 
ready  active  but  undirected  benevolence  of  the 
people  toward  the  Army ;  who  shall  consider 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  7 

the  general  subject  of  the  prevention  of  sickness 
and  suffering  among  the  troops,  and  suggest  the 
wisest  methods  which  the  people  at  large  can 
use  to  manifest  their  good-will  towards  the  com 
fort,  security,  and  health  of  the  Army. 

It  must  be  well  known  to  the  Department  of 
War  that  several  such  commissions  followed  the 
Crimean  and  Indian  wars.  The  civilization  and 
humanity  of  the  age  and  of  the  American  peo 
ple  demand  that  such  a  Commission  should  pre 
cede  our  second  War  of  Independence  —  more 
sacred  than  the  first.  We  wish  to  prevent  the 
evils  that  England  and  France  could  only  in 
vestigate  and  deplore.  The  war  ought  to  be 
waged  in  a  spirit  of  the  highest  intelligence, 
humanity,  and  tenderness  for  the  health,  com 
fort,  and  safety  of  our  brave  troops.  And  every 
measure  of  the  Government  that  shows  its  sense 
of  this  will  be  eminently  popular,  strengthen  its 
hands,  and  redound  to  its  glory  at  home  and 
abroad. 

The  undersigned  are  charged  with  several 
specific  petitions,  additional  to  that  of  asking 
for  a  Commission  for  the  purposes  above  de 
scribed,  although  they  all  would  fall  under  the 
duties  of  that  Commission. 

1.  They  ask  that  the  Secretary  of  War  will 
order  some  new  rigor  in  the  inspection  of  volun 
teer  troops,  as  they  are  persuaded  that,  under  the 
present  State  regulations  throughout  the  coun 
try,  a  great  number  of  under-aged  and  unsuitable 


8  THE   UNITED   STATES 

persons  are  mustered,  who  are  likely  to  swell  the 
bills  of  mortality  in  the  army  to  a  fearful  per 
centage,  to  encumber  the  hospitals  and  embar 
rass  the  columns. 

3.  The  committee  represent  that  the  Woman's 
Central  Association  of  Relief  have  selected,  and 
are  selecting,  out  of  several  hundred  candidates 
one  hundred  women,  suited  in  all  respects  to 
become  nurses  in  the  General  Hospitals  of  the 
Army.  These  women  the  distinguished  physi 
cians  and  surgeons  of  the  various  hospitals  in 
New  York  have  undertaken  to  educate  and  drill 
in  a  most  thorough  and  laborious  manner ;  and 
the  Committee  ask  that  the  War  Department 
consent  to  receive,  on  wages,  these  nurses,  in 
such  numbers  as  the  exigencies  of  the  campaign 
may  require.*  It  is  not  proposed  that  the  nurses 
should  advance  to  the  seat  of  war,  until  directly 
called  for  by  the  Medical  Bureau  here,  nor  that 
the  Government  should  be  at  any  expense  until 
they  are  actually  in  service. 

It  is  believed  that  a  Commission  would  bring 
these  and  other  matters  of  great  interest  and  im 
portance  to  the  health  of  the  troops  into  the 
shape  of  easy  and  practical  adoption.  But  if 
no  Commission  is  appointed,  the  Committee 
pray  that  the  Secretary  will  order  the  several 

*  Adopted ;  and  nearly  every  nurse  thus  selected  is  still 
in  the  service. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  9 

suggestions  made  to  be  carried  into  immediate 
effect,  if  consistent  with  the  laws  of  the  Depart 
ment,  or  possible  without  the  action  of  Congress. 
Feeling  themselves  directly  to  represent  large 
and  important  constituencies,  and,  indirectly,  a 
wide-spread  and  commanding  public  sentiment, 
the  Committee  would  most  respectfully  urge  the 
immediate  attention  of  the  Secretary  to  the  ob 
jects  of  their  prayer. 

Very  respectfully, 

HENRY  W.  BELLOWS.  D.  D. 

W.  H.  VAN  BUREN,  M.  D. 

ELISHA  HARRIS,  M.  D. 

J.  HARSEN,  M.  D. 
WASHINGTON,  May  18,  1861. 

This  was  strengthened  by  a  letter  from  the 
acting  Surgeon-General  to  the  Secretary  of 
War,  advising  the  institution  of  "  A  Commis 
sion  of  Inquiry  and  Advice  in  respect  of  the 
Sanitary  Interests  of  the  United  States  Forces." 


LETTER  FROM  THE  ACTING  SURGEON-GENERAL  TO 
THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR,  ADVISING  THE  INSTITU 
TION  OF  "A  COMMISSION  OF  INQUIRY  AND  ADVICE 
IN  RESPECT  OF  THE  SANITARY  INTERESTS  OF  THE 
UNITED  STATES  FORCES." 

SURGEON-GENERAL'S  OFFICE, 

May  22,  1861. 
Hon.  SIMON  CAMERON,  Secretary  of  War: 

SIR  :    The  sudden  and  large  increase  of  the 
Army,  more  especially  of  the  Volunteer  force, 


10  THE  UNITED   STATES 

has  called  the  attention  of  this  office  to  the  ne 
cessity  of  some  modifications  and  changes  in  the 
system  of  organization  as  connected  with  the 
hygiene  and  comforts  of  the  soldiers ;  more  par 
ticularly  in  relation  to  the  class  of  men  who,  ac 
tuated  by  patriotism,  have  repaired  with  unex 
ampled  promptness  to  the  defence  of  the  insti 
tutions  and  laws  of  the  country. 

The  pressure  upon  the  Medical  Bureau  has 
been  very  great  and  urgent ;  and,  though  all  the 
means  at  its  disposal  have  been  industriously 
used,  much  remains  to  be  accomplished  by  di 
recting  the  intelligent  mind  of  the  country  to 
practical  results  connected  with  the  comforts  of 
the  soldier,  by  preventive  and  sanitary  means. 

The  Medical  Bureau  would,  in  my  judg 
ment,  derive  important  and  useful  aid  from 
the  counsels  and  well-directed  efforts  of  an 
intelligent  and  scientific  Commission,  to  be 
styled,  "  A  Commission  of  Inquiry  and  Ad 
vice  in  respect  of  the  Sanitary  Interests  of 
the  United  States  Forces,"  and  acting  in  co 
operation  with  the  Bureau,  in  elaborating  and 
applying  such  facts  as  might  be  elicited  from 
the  experience  and  more  extended  observation 
of  those  connected  with  armies,  with  reference 
to  the  diet  and  hygiene  of  troops,  and  the 
organization  of  Military  Hospitals,  etc. 

This  Commission  is  not  intended  to  interfere 
with,  but  to  strengthen,  the  present  organization, 
introducing  and  elaborating  such  improvements 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  11 

as  the  advanced  stage  of  Medical  Science  might 
suggest ;  more  particularly  as  regards  the  class 
of  men  who,  in  this  war  of  sections,  may  be 
called  to  abandon  the  comforts  of  home,  and  be 
subject  to  the  privations  and  casualties  of  war. 

The  views  of  this  office  were  expressed  in 
a  communication  of  May  18,  1861,  in  a  crude 
and  hasty  manner,  as  to  the  examination  of 
recruits,  the  proposed  organization  of  cooks, 
nurses,  etc.,  to  which  I  beg  leave  to  refer. 

The  selection  of  this  Board  is  of  the  greatest 
importance. 

In  connection  with  those  gentlemen  who 
originated  this  investigation,  with  many  others, 
I  would  suggest  the  following  members,  not  to 
exceed  five,  to  convene  in  Washington,  who 
have  power  to  fill  vacancies  and  appoint  a 
competent  Secretary  :  — 

Rev.  HENRY   W.  BELLOWS,  D.  D. 

Prof.   ALEXANDER  DALLAS  BACHE,  LL.  D. 

Prof.   WOLCOTT   GIBBS,  M.  D. 

JEFFRIES   WYMAN,   M.  D. 

W.  H.  VAN  BUREN,  M.  D. 

It  would  be  proper,  also,  to  associate  with 
this  Board  an  officer  of  the  Medical  Staff  of 
the  Army,  to  be  selected  by  the  Secretary  of 
War,  familiar  with  the  organization  of  Mili 
tary  Hospitals  and  the  details  of  field  service. 
Respectfully  submitted, 

R.   C.  WOOD, 
Acting-  Surgeon-  General. 


12  THE  UNITED  STATES 

DRAFT  OF  POWERS  ASKED  FROM  THE  GOVERNMENT 
BY  THE  SANITARY  DELEGATION  TO  THE  PRESI 
DENT  AND  THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  May  23, 1861 
To  the  Hon.  SECRETARY  OF  WAR  : 

The  Medical  Bureau  of  the  United  States 
Army  having  asked  for  the  appointment  of 
a  Sanitary  Commission,  in  aid  of  its  own 
overtasked  energies,  the  Committee  of  the 
New  York  Delegation  to  the  Government  on 
Sanitary  Affairs  beg  leave,  at  the  request  of 
the  Medical  Bureau,  and  as  explanatory  of  its 
wishes,  to  state  what  precise  powers  are  sought 
by  the  proposed  Commission,  and  what  specific 
objects  are  aimed  at. 

POWERS. 

1.  The  Commission  being  organized  for  the 
purposes  only  of  inquiry  and  advice,  asks  for 
no  legal  powers,  but  only  the  official  recog 
nition  and  moral  countenance  of  the  Govern 
ment,  which  will  be  secured  by  its  public  ap 
pointment.  It  asks  for  a  recommendatory  order, 
addressed  in  its  favor  to  all  officers  of  the  Gov 
ernment,  to  further  its  inquiries  ;  for  permission 
to  correspond  and  confer,  on  a  confidential 
footing,  with  the  Medical  Bureau  and  the  War 
Department,  proffering  such  suggestions  and 
counsel  as  its  investigations  and  studies  may, 
from  time  to  time,  prompt  and  enable  it  to 
offer. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  13 

2.  The   Commission    seeks  no   pecuniary  re 
muneration  from  the  Government.     Its  motives 
being  humane  and  patriotic,  its  labors  will  be 
its  own  reward.     The  assignment  to  them  of 
a  room  in  one  of  the  public  buildings,  with  sta 
tionery  and  other  necessary  conveniences,  would 
meet  their  expectations  in  this  direction. 

3.  The  Commission  asks  leave  to  sit  through 
the  war,  either    in   Washington,  or    when    and 
where  it  may  find  it  most  convenient  and  useful ; 
but  it  will  disband  should  experience  render  its 
operations  embarrassing  to  the  Government,  or 
less  necessary  and  useful   than  it  is  now  sup 
posed  they  will  prove. 

OBJECTS. 

The  general  object  of  the  Commission  is, 
through  suggestions  reported  from  time  to  time 
to  the  Medical  Bureau  and  the  War  Depart 
ment,  to  bring  to  bear  upon  the  health,  com 
fort,  and  morale  of  our  troops,  the  fullest  and 
ripest  teachings  of  Sanitary  Science  in  its  ap 
plication  to  military  life,  whether  deduced  from 
theory  or  practical  observation,  from  general 
hygienic  principles,  or  from  the  experience  of 
the  Crimean,  the  East  Indian,  and  the  Italian 
wars.  Its  objects  are  purely  advisory. 

The  specific  points  to  which  its  attention 
would  be  directed  may  here  be  partly  indicated, 
but  in  some  part  must  depend  upon  the  course 
of  events,  and  the  results  of  its  own  observa- 


14  THE  UNITED   STATES 

tions  and  promptings,  when  fairly  at  work.  If 
it  knew  precisely  what  the  results  of  its  own 
inquiries  would  be,  it  would  state  them  at  once, 
without  asking  for  that  authority  and  those 
governmental  facilities  essential  to  a  successful 
investigation  of  the  subject.  As  the  Govern 
ment  may  select  its  own  Commissioners,  —  the 
persons  named  in  the  recommendation  of  the 
Medical  Bureau  being  wholly  undesirous,  how 
ever  willing,  to  serve,  if  other  persons  more  de 
serving  of  the  confidence  of  the  Government  and 
of  the  public  can  be  nominated,  —  it  is  hoped 
that  the  character  of  the  Commission  will  be 
the  best  warrant  the  Government  can  have  that 
the  inquiries  of  the  Commission,  both  as  to 
their  nature  and  the  manner  of  conducting 
them,  will  be  pursued  with  discretion  and  a 
careful  eye  to  avoiding  impertinent  and  offen 
sive  interference  with  the  legal  authority  and 
official  rights  of  any  of  the  bureaus  with  which 
it  may  be  brought  in  contact. 

SPECIFICATIONS. 
I.  MATERIEL.  —  II.  PREVENTION.  — III.  RELIEF. 

I.  Materiel  of  the  Volunteers.  —  The  Commis 
sion  proposes  a  practical  inquiry  into  the  mate 
riel  of  the  Volunteer  Force,  with  reference  to  the 
laws  and  usages  of  the  several  States  in  the 
matter  of  Inspection,  with  the  hope  of  assimi 
lating  their  regulations  with  those  of  the  Army 
proper,  alike  in  the  appointment  of  medical  and 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  15 

other  officers  and  in  the  rigorous  application  of 
just  rules  and  principles  to  recruiting  and  in 
spection  laws.  This  inquiry  would  exhaust 
every  topic  appertaining  to  the  original  materiel 
of  the  army,  considered  as  a  subject  of  sanitary' 
and  medical  care. 

II.  Prevention.  —  The  Commission  would  in 
quire  with  scientific  thoroughness  into  the  sub 
ject  of  Diet,  Cooking,  Cooks,  Clothing,  Tents, 
Camping  Grounds,  Transports,  Transitory  De 
pots,  with  their  exposures,   Camp  Police,  with 
reference  to  settling  the  question,  How  far  the 
regulations  of  the  Army  proper  are  or  can  be 
practically    carried    out    among   the    Volunteer 
Regiments,  and  what  changes  or  modifications 
are  desirable  from  their  peculiar  character  and 
circumstances  ?    Everything  appertaining  to  out 
fit,  cleanliness,  precautions  against  damp,  cold, 
heat,  malaria,  infection ;  crude,  unvaried,  or  ill- 
cooked  food,  and  an  irregular  or  careless  regi 
mental  commissariat,  would  fall  under  this  head. 

III.  Relief.  —  The  Commission  would  inquire 
into  the  organization  of  Military  Hospitals,  gen 
eral  and  regimental ;  the  precise  regulations  and 
routine  through  which  the  services  of  the  patri 
otic  women  of  the  country  may  be  made  avail 
able  as   nurses;   the  nature  arid   sufficiency  of 
Hospital  supplies  ;  the  method  of  obtaining  and 
regulating  all  other  extra  and  unbought  supplies 
contributing  to  the  comfort  of  the  sick  ;  the  ques 
tion  of  ambulances  and  field  service,  and  of  extra 


16  THE   UNITED   STATES 

medical  aid ;  and  whatever  else  relates  to  the 
care,  relief,  or  cure  of  the  sick  and  wounded  — 
their  investigations  being  guided  by  the  highest 
and  latest  medical  and  military  experience,  and 
carefully  adapted  to  the  nature  and  wants  of  our 
immediate  army,  and  its  peculiar  origin  and  cir 
cumstances.* 

Very  respectfully  submitted,  in  behalf  of  the 
New  York  delegation. 

HENRY  W.  BELLOWS,  Chairman. 

WILLIAM  H.  VAN  BUREN,  M.  D. 

JACOB  HARSEN,  M.  D. 

ELISHA  HARRIS,  M.  D. 


SANITARY  COMMISSION  ORDERED  BY  THE  SECRETARY 
OF  WAR,  AND  APPROVED  BY  THE  PRESIDENT. 

j     WAR  DEPARTMENT, 

(   Washington,  June  9,  1861. 

The  Secretary  of  War  has  learned  with  great 
satisfaction  that,  at  the  instance  and  in  pursu 
ance  of  the  suggestion  of  the  Medical  Bureau, 
in  a  communication  to  this  office,  dated  May 
22,  1861,  Henry  W.  Bellows,  D.  D.,  Prof.  A.  D. 
Bache,  LL.  D.,  Prof.  Jeffries  Wyman,  M.  D., 
Prof.  Wolcott  Gibbs,  M.  D.,  W.  H.  Van  Buren, 
M.  D.,  Samuel  G.  Howe,  M.  D.,  R.  C.  Wood, 
Surgeon  U.  S.  A.,  G.  W.  Cullum,  U.  S.  A., 

*  Looking  back  on  these  proposals,  a  feeling  of  wonder 
fills  the  mind  that  they  could  at  that  moment  of  inexperience 
have  been  formed  to  embrace  nearly  all  that  has  since  proved 
essential. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  17 

Alexander  E.  Shiras,  U.  S.  A.,  have  mostly 
consented,  in  connection  with  such  others  as 
they  may  choose  to  associate  with  them,  to  act 
as  "A  Commission  of  Inquiry  and  Advice  in 
respect  of  the  Sanitary  Interests  of  the  United 
States  Forces,"  and  without  remuneration  from 
the  Government.  The  Secretary  has  submitted 
their  patriotic  proposal  to  the  consideration  of 
the  President,  who  directs  the  acceptance  of  the 
services  thus  generously  offered. 

The  Commission,  in  connection  with  a  Sur 
geon  of  the  U.  S.  A.  to  be  designated  by  the 
Secretary,  will  direct  its  inquiries  to  the  princi 
ples  and  practices  connected  with  the  inspection 
of  recruits  and  enlisted  men ;  the  sanitary  con 
dition  of  the  volunteers ;  to  the  means  of  pre 
serving  and  restoring  the  health,  and  of  securing 
the  general  comfort  and  efficiency  of  troops ;  to 
the  proper  provision  of  cooks,  nurses,  and  hos 
pitals  ;  and  to  other  subjects  of  like  nature. 

The  Commission  will  frame  such  rules  and 
regulations,  in  respect  of  the  objects  and  modes 
of  its  inquiry,  as  may  seem  best  adapted  to  the 
purpose  of  its  constitution,  which,  when  ap 
proved  by  the  Secretary,  will  be  established  as 
general  guides  of  its  investigations  and  action. 

A  room  with  necessary  conveniences  will  be 
provided  in  the  City  of  Washington  for  the  use 
of  the  Commission,  and  the  members  will  meet 
when  and  at  such  places  as  may  be  convenient 
to  them  for  consultation,  and  for  the  determina- 


18  THE   UNITED   STATES 

tion  of  such  questions  as  may  come  properly  be 
fore  the  Commission. 

In  the  progress  of  its  inquiries,  the  Commis 
sion  will  correspond  freely  with  the  Department 
and  with  the  Medical  Bureau,  and  will  commu 
nicate  to  each,  from  time  to  time,  such  observa 
tions  and  results  as  it  may  deem  expedient  and 
important. 

The  Commission  will  exist  until  the  Secretary 
of  War  shall  otherwise  direct,  unless  sooner  dis 
solved  by  its  own  action. 

SIMON  CAMERON, 

Secretary  of  War. 

I  approve  the  above.  A.  LINCOLN. 

June  13,  1861. 

All  this  was  the  result  of  the  forces  of  patriot 
ism  and  human  love,  which  began  to  bear  with 
strength  upon  the  Government.  For  not  only 
did  the  nation,  in  its  merciful  and  patriotic  in 
stincts,  need  the  Commission  as  its  guide  and 
means,  but  the  Government  needed  the  Com 
mission  to  protect  them  against  the  vast  tide  of 
home-feelings,  and  the  ardor  of  a  people  pour 
ing  down  upon  them  in  indiscriminate  benevo 
lence,  and  clogging  the  machinery,  already  too 
limited,  through  which  alone 'the  real  good  to 
the  soldier  could  be  applied.  They  needed,  even 
if  they  did  not  wish,  something  to  eke  out  and 
supplement  the  established  system.  It  was 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  19 

small  enough,  to  be  sure,  for  it  was  a  system 
made  for  a  few  thousand  men,  suddenly  called 
on  to  provide  for  the  wants  of  an  army  of  sev 
eral  hundred  thousand  ;  but  at  least  it  was  the 
organized  nucleus  of  something  larger.  The 
Commission  came  in,  with  offers  of  obedience, 
to  supplement  and  aid,  by  an  organization  run- 
ing  side  by  side  with  the  military  system  in  the 
difficult  work  before  it. 

And  here  it  is  important  to  understand  the 
precise  attitude  assumed  by  the  Government 
towards  the  Sanitary  Commission  at  its  incep 
tion.  The  Government,  while  to  a  certain  ex 
tent  aware  of  the  necessities  that  might  soon 
arise  in  the  Medical  Department,  had  what 
seemed  so  much  more  pressing  demands  upon 
their  attention  that  they  could  not  give  very 
earnest  heed  to  the  suggestions  which  Dr.  Bel 
lows  urged  with  piteous  reiteration  upon  them. 
They  saw  the  country  heaving  with  sensibility 
to  the  probable  wants  of  the  sick  and  wounded, 
before  any  such  existed.  It  seemed  to  them  an 
idle  forethought  to  make  this  great  ado  about  a 
class  which  might  never  exist  in  any  great  pro 
portion.  The  honest  truth  doubtless  is  this : 
that  they  supposed  the  sensibilities  of  women 
and  clergymen  and  humane  physicians  had 
finally  culminated  in  a  sentimental  scheme 
which  had  little  solid  foundation  in  practical 
sense  and  efficiency,  and  that  they  regarded  the 
proposed  Sanitary  Commission  with  only  as 


20  THE   UNITED   STATES 

much  interest  as  the  pertinacity  and  respecta 
bility  of  its  advocates  compelled  them  to  give 
to  it.  They  did  not  understand  the  character 
of  the  men  who  were  urging  the  plan  upon 
them ;  far  less  did  they  comprehend  that  these 
men  were  prompted  by  the  irresistible  voice  of 
the  people  ;  and  thus  they  were  excusable  for 
suspecting  that  the  scheme  was  a  soft-hearted 
invention  which  would  very  poorly  sustain  the 
hard  knocks  which  every  accessory  of  war  must 
be  fitted  to  endure. 

The  Government  frankly  told  the  projector  of 
the  Sanitary  Commission  their  doubts  and  mis 
givings  as  to  the  feasibleness  of  his  plan  :  the 
President  feared.it  might  be  "the  fifth  wheel  of 
the  coach,"  not  only  needless  but  embarrassing 
to  the  indispensable  running  gear;  the  Secre 
tary  of  War  very  slowly  and  reluctantly  gave  up 
his  objections ;  the  Medical  Bureau,  won  over  to 
the  plan  only  by  the  most  gentle  and  cautious 
approaches,  at  length  yielded  their  consent,  and 
made  application  for  the  appointment  of  the 
Commission.*  Even  then  a  change  in  the  head 
of  the  Medical  Bureau  perilled  the  ground  thus 
laboriously  gained;  for  the  new  Surgeon-General, 
Dr.  Finlay,  signified  his  consent  with  an  ex 
pression  of  his  total  opposition  to  the  plan,  and 

*  This  was  duo  to  the  efforts  of  Dr.  Van  Buren,  whose 
guiding  wisdom  in  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Sanitary 
Commission  has  been  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  its  strength 
and  power. 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  21 

merely  from  unwillingness  to  interpose  himself 
against  what  was  evidently  becoming  a  power 
ful  popular  opinion  in  favor  of  the  scheme. 

These  objections  were  all  natural,  honest,  and 
even  sagacious :  nor  has  the  Commission  ever 
complained  that  it  encountered  them.  In  ninety- 
nine  cases  out  of  a  hundred  they  would  have 
been  well-founded.  But  the  course  of  the  Com 
mission  has  shown  • —  what  no  foresight  could 
have  established  —  that  the  objections  made  to 
it  were  unfounded  and  needless.  It  is,  however, 
due  both  to  the  Commission  and  to  the  People 
who  created  it,  that  the  obstinate  difficulties 
under  which  it  came  into  existence  should  be 
known ;  and  it  must  be  added  that  it  was  treated 
for  the  first  few  months  of  that  existence  with 
jealous  coldness  on  the  part  of  the  Government 
—  a  coldness  gradually  melting  away  as  experi 
ence  taught  the  various  Bureaux  to  confide  in  it. 

In  all  its  intercourse  with  the  Government  the 
Commission  has  studied  the  strictest  subordina 
tion,  asked  the  fewest  possible  favors,  conferred 
the  largest  assistance  in  its  power,  and  claimed 
the  least  possible  recognition  of  its  services. 
Whilst  the  Government,  whatever  their  actual 
sense  of  its  labors  may  be,  have  seldom  shown 
any  sense  of  obligation  to  the  Commission,  yet 
it  must  be  said  that,  from  their  various  subordi 
nates,  it  has  received  favors  too  numerous  to 
detail,  whilst  the  actual  obstacles  to  its  labors 
have  been  few  indeed. 


22  THE   UNITED   STATES 

The  best  witness  —  the  only  competent  judge 
of  the  Sanitary  Commission  —  is  the  Army  itself 
The  Generals  recognize  and  facilitate  its  plans 
and  movements  from  their  own  deep  acquaint 
ance  with  its  work  and  their  personal  conviction 
of  its  importance  ;  whilst  the  other  officers,  med 
ical  and  military,  strengthen  it  from  a  yet  closer 
experience  of  its  benefits.  The  real  triumph  of 
the  Commission  has  been  a  triumph  over  the 
medical  and  military  prejudices  of  the  Army; 
and  these  have  yielded,  and  yielded  wholly,  to 
the  actual  experience  they  have  had  of  the 
beneficence  and  indispensableness  of  its  work. 

It  was  soon  found  necessary,  for  the  practical 
working  of  the  Commission,  to  add  five  other 
members  to  those  already  appointed ;  and  these 
were  again  increased  at  a  later  period  until  the 
number  of  its  members  is  now  twenty-one.  Their 
names  are  as  follows:  — 

H.  W.  BELLOWS,  D.  D.,  President,  —  A.  D. 
BACHE,  LL.  D.,  Vice-President,— G.  W.  CUL- 
LUM,  U.  S.  A.,  — R.  C.  WOOD,  M.  D.,  U.  S.  A., 
W.  H.  VAN  BUREN,  M.  D.,  —  WOLCOTT  GIBBS, 
M.  D.,  —  S.  G.  HOWE,  M.  D.,  —  C.  R.  AGNEW, 
M.  D,  —  ELISHA  HARRIS,  M.  D., —  GEORGE  T. 
STRONG,  Esq.,  —  HORACE  BINNEY,  Jr.,  Esq., — 
Rt.  Rev.  T.  M.  CLARK,  D.  D.,  —  Hon.  JOSEPH 
HOLT, —  Hon.  R.  W.  BURNETT,  —  Hon.  MARK 
SKINNER,  —  Rev.  JOHN  H  HEYWOOD,  —  Prof. 
FAIRMAN  ROGERS, —  J.  HUNTINGTON  WOLCOTT, 
Esq.,  — -  FRED.  LAW  OLMSTED  ESQ., — J.  S.  NEW 

KERRY,   IV].  D., A.   E.   SlIIRAS,   U.   S.    A. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  23 

The  Commission,  being  thus  organized,  fell  at 
once  to  work,  and  before  twenty-four  hours  had 
passed  was  involved  in  the  leading  practical 
questions  of  the  business  before  it,  —  the  Execu 
tive  Committee  meeting  daily  as  it  has  con 
tinued  to  do  from  that  time  to  the  present  day. 
On  this  Committee  we  may  be  suffered  to  pause 
for  a  moment.  If  others  in  the  Commission  are 
known  in  this  story  by  their  deeds,  these  men, 
who  are  the  spirit  that  inspires  and  the  mind 
that  guides  the  whole,  should  be  known  by  their 
character  and  attainments. 

It  has  been  shown  how  the  inception  and  ex 
istence  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  are  due  to 
Dr.  Bellows ;  but  his  labors  for  it  have  not  ended 
here.  To  it  he  has  given  the  experience  of  a 
thoughtful  life  and  the  best  hours  of  every  day 
and  night  since  it  came  into  existence,  —  strength 
ening  it  with  his  power,  and  inspiring  it  with  his 
enthusiasm. 

Of  Dr.  Van  Buren,  whose  eminent  profes 
sional  attainments  have  carried,  with  weight  and 
conviction,  the  advice  of  the  Commission  to  the 
Medical  Bureau,  it  is  riot  too  much  to  say  that 
the  war  in  its  medical  history  owes  more  to  him 
of  what  is  sound,  progressive,  and  humane  than 
to  any  other  physician  in  the  country :  —  while  to 
Dr.  Agnew,  his  colleague  in  the  work,  the  Com 
mission  owes  in  a  high  degree,  through  his  ear 
nest  and  powerful  administrative  qualities,  the 
practical  and  successful  application  of  the  wis- 


24  THE  UNITED   STATES 

dom  of  his  friend.  The  attainments  of  the  Com 
mission  in  all  matters  of  a  scientific  nature  are 
due  to  its  good  fortune  in  having  as  active  workers 
two  men  of  the  highest  scientific  character, — Prof. 
A.  D.  Bache  and  Prof.  Wolcott  Gibbs,  — who 
have  maintained  a  steady  and  practical  supervis 
ion  over  all  questions  and  affairs  of  this  nature. 

To  its  Treasurer,  Mr.  George  T.  Strong,  the 
Commission  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude  which  it  is 
difficult  to  express  in  words.  With  the  burden 
of  much  responsibility  upon  him  of  a  private  and 
public  nature,  he  has  yet  found  time  and  strength 
to  give  himself,  with  ceaseless  industry  and  judg 
ment,  to  the  financial  business  of  the  Commis 
sion,  which  has  been  wholly  conducted  by  him. 

The  last  who  shall  be  named  here  is  one  who 
is  no  longer  in  the  active  service  of  the  Com 
mission,  but  who  was  until  recently  its  General 
Secretary,  —  Mr.  Frederick  Law  Olmsted.  He 
has  left  the  work,  called  elsewhere  by  a  duty 
which  he  could  not  disregard.  The  Sanitary 
Commission,  owing  its  conception  and  life  to 
others,  owes  in  a  chief  degree  its  moulding  and 
its  practical  success  to  him.  He  has  gone  from 
it,  but  his  spirit  within  it  will  never  die  nor  fail. 
He  will  return,  for  the  country  needs  him.  A 
man  like  him  belongs  before  all  else  to  the  gen 
eration  in  which  he  is  born.  We  want  men  of 
height  and  breadth  and  purity,  and  a  Nation's 
wants  produce  their  own  fulfilment.  He  will  re 
turn  :  meantime,  wherever  he  is,  God  bless  him. 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  25 

In  his  place  has  been  elected  Dr.  J.  Foster 
Jenkins,  long  actively  engaged  as  Associate 
Secretary  of  the  Commission  ;  and  it  is  enough 
to  say  that  no  appointment  to  that  place  could 
have  given  more  sincere  satisfaction.* 

The  Commission,  as  we  have  said,  went  at 
once  to  work.  Almost  its  first  act  was  to 
solicit  the  cooperation  of  Associate  Members 
throughout  the  country.  They  were  asked  to 
obtain  for  the  Commission  the  means  required 
to  carry  out  its  object ;  to  inform  the  public 
fully  (through  the  press  and  otherwise)  of  the 
existence  and  design  of  the  Commission,  and 
of  the  great  and  pressing  danger  which  it  was 
intended  to  avert;  to  promote  the  establishment 
of  auxiliary  associations  ;  and  so  to  direct  the 
labors  of  associations  already  formed,  that  they 
might  strengthen  and  support  those  of  the  Com 
mission. 

At  the  present  moment  there  are  more  than 
five  hundred  Associate  Members. 

Of  the  multiplied  subjects  which  first  claimed 
the  attention  of  the  Commission,  no  record  can 
be  given  here  ;  but  it  should  be  told  how  the 
suggestion  was  made  that  it  ought  to  look  to 
the  Government  for  the  money  it  required,  rather 
than  to  private  liberality.  The  question  was  fully 
and  deeply  considered,  and  the  conclusion  was 
reached  that  it  was  inexpedient  to  appear  before 
Congress  as  an  applicant  for  pecuniary  aid. 
*  See  Appendix  A. 


26  THE   UNITED   STATES 

The  Commission  had  little  or  no  official  power, 
and  could  accomplish  its  objects  only  through 
whatever  moral  weight  and  influence  it  might 
possess.  These  would  have  been  impaired,  if 
not  destroyed,  in  public  estimation  at  least,  were 
it  to  appear  among  the  crowds  which  fill  the  lob 
bies  of  Congress.  The  mere  suspicion  that  it  was 
connected  with  political  agencies  would  para 
lyze  its  usefulness.  On  this  and  other  grounds, 
the  Commission  determined  to  rely  for  support 
on  the  community  at  large,  and  time  has  shown 
its  wisdom  in  adopting  that  course.* 

On  the  question  of  supplies,  there  could  be 
no  anxiety.  Already,  from  the  distant  coun 
try  villages,  as  from  the  cities  and  towns,  they 
were  flowing  in.  The  Commission  went  forward 
to  its  first  inquiries  after  need  and  suffering, 
backed  by  ample  means  to  relieve  them.  The 
distribution  of  stores,  clothes,  bedding,  etc.,  be 
came  at  once  a  recognized  function ;  and  so, 
finding  its  way  intelligently  into  every  avenue 
of  succor,  the  People's  Commission  went  on. 


DEPARTMENT   OF  INSPECTION. 

The  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  by  which 
the  Sanitary  Commission  was  appointed,  in 
vested  it  with  the  power  of  "  inquiry  and  advice 
in  respect  to  the  Sanitary  interests  of  the  United 
States  forces,"  —  and  specially  directed  it  to 

*  See  Appendix  B. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  27 

l-  inquire  into  the  principles  and  practices  con 
nected  with  the  inspection  of  recruits  and  en 
listed  men  ;  into  the  sanitary  condition  of  the 
volunteers ;  into  the  means  of  preserving  and 
restoring  the  health  and  securing  the  general 
comfort  and  efficiency  of  troops  ;  into  the  proper 
provision  of  cooks,  nurses,  and  hospitals;  and 
into  other  subjects  of  a  like  nature."  That  a 
permission  of  this  kind  should  have  been  given, 
inviting  instruction  and  advice  at  the  very  com 
mencement  of  the  war,  —  not  delaying  until  deci 
mating  evil  and  the  anger  of  a  people  demanded 
it,  —  is  one  of  those  facts  by  which  we  judge  the 
character  of  our  nation ;  and  as  a  people  we 
may  be  grateful  to  the  men  who  were  wise 
enough  to  grant  it. 

If  we  think  of  the  condition  of  the  Army  at 
that  moment,  we  shall  see  at  once  the  enormous 
value  of  the  advice  of  the  Commission,  com 
posed  as  it  was  of  men  who  were  all  more  or 
less  experts  in  the  work  in  which  they  were 
engaged.  The  Medical  Bureau,  organized  with 
reference  to  the  wants  of  an  army  of  only  a  few 
thousand  men,  was  likely  to  be  seriously  embar 
rassed  in  its  operations,  when  called  on  to  pro 
vide  for  a  newly  levied  force  of  several  hundred 
thousand ;  especially  as  both  officers  and  men 
of  the  new  levies  were  mostly  without  experi 
ence,  and  required  immediate  and  extraordinary 
instructions  and  supervision  to  save  them  from 
the  consequences  of  exposure,  malaria,  unwhole- 


28  THE  UNITED   STATES 

some  food,  and  other  perils  of  camp-life.  What 
could  these  men,  just  from  their  home-life,  know 
of  this  aspect  of  war  ?  —  they  did  not  even  know 
their  own  ignorance.  War  to  them  was  battle 
and  the  art  of  it.  Precautions  for  health  ;  pre 
ventions  of  disease  ;  the  bodily  well-being  of  the 
troops,  —  all  that  makes  the  enduring  strength 
of  an  army, — scarcely  entered,  if  it  entered  at 
all,  their  eager  minds.  The  Sanitary  Com 
mission,  by  a  gracious  permission,  was  to  teach 
them.  Who  shall  say  where  the  results  of  this 
teaching  ended,  or  shall  end  ? 

The  first  step  of  the  Commission  was  to  sur 
vey  its  ground.  The  President,  with  another 
member,  at  once  undertook  a  preliminary  exam 
ination  into  the  condition  of  the  troops  assem 
bling  at  Cleveland,  Alton,  Cairo,  St.  Louis,  Cin 
cinnati,  and  other  military  centres  in  the  West. 
A  like  preliminary  examination  was  made,  by 
other  members  of  the  Commission,  into  the  state 
of  the  troops  on  the  Potomac  and  at  Fortress 
Monroe.  Full  reports  of  the  results  thus  ascer 
tained  showed  that  the  dangers  of  the  Army  from 
ignorance  and  neglect  of  sanitary  precautions 
were  in  no  degree  exaggerated,  and  that  a  vast 
field  of  work  was  before  the  Commission.  That 
work  was  twofold :  1st,  Inquiry  into  the  san 
itary  condition  of  the  army ;  2d,  Advice  as  to 
its  improvement.  This  latter  function  included, 
not  only  the  duty  of  addressing  to  the  Govern 
ment,  from  time  to  time,  such  recommendations 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  29 

or  suggestions  as  occasions  and  facts  might  sug 
gest,  but  also  that  of  keeping  the  volunteer  offi 
cers,  and  the  soldiers  themselves,  constantly  and 
directly  instructed  and  warned  of  the  novel  dan 
gers  to  which  they  were  exposed,  of  the  neces 
sary  precautions  against  them,  and  of  the  means 
pointed  out  by  experience  as  best  calculated  to 
preserve  them  in  bodily  health  and  vigor  for  the 
performance  of  their  duty  to  their  country. 

It  was  obviously  necessary  to  put  experts  upon 
the  duty  of  inspection  and  inquiry,  and  for  this 
purpose  the  Commission  hastened  to  secure  the 
services  of  a  body  of  physicians  specially  fitted 
for  this  duty,  and  to  send  them  into  the  field  at 
various  points,  from  Fortress  Monroe  to  St. 
Louis.  It  was  not  easy  to  find  at  once  a  suffi 
cient  number  of  gentlemen  of  the  requisite  qual 
ifications.  It  was  indispensable  that  they  should 
possess,  not  only  scientific  qualifications  and  a 
special  acquaintance  with  sanitary  laws,  but 
sufficient  tact  to  perform  their  duties  as  agents 
of  an  organization  till  then  unknown  to  Army 
Regulations,  without  awakening  jealousy  of 
their  interference  as  officious  or  seemingly  intru 
sive.  It  was  also  necessary,  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  the  Commission  could  afford  to  pay  but 
moderate  compensation  to  its  employes,  that 
they  should  be  men  actuated  by  a  strong  and 
disinterested  desire  to  be  of  service  to  the  coun 
try.  Such  men,  however,  were  found  ;  and  it  is 
proper  to  record  the  fact  that  in  several  instances 


SO  THE  UNITED   STATES 

they  withdrew  from  positions  far  more  remu 
nerative,  undertaking  their  new  duties  from  mo 
tives  of  the  highest  benevolence  and  patriotism. 
Some  have  declined  the  office  of  Brigade  Sur 
geon,  tendered  to  them  by  the  War  Department, 
to  enter  on  what  they  considered  a  wider  field 
of  usefulness  in  the  service  of  the  Commission. 
No  one  is  now  employed  on  this  service  who  is 
not  entitled  by  education,  experience,  and  social 
standing  to  speak  with  some  degree  of  moral 
authority ;  and  whatever  success  the  Commission 
may  have  obtained  in  the  execution  of  its  duties 
is  believed  to  be  due  as  much  to  the  high  char 
acter  and  intelligence  of  its  Inspectors,  as  to  any 
of  the  other  advantages  it  has  enjoyed. 

The  duties  of  the  Inspectors,  beyond  what  is 
necessarily  trusted  to  their  discretion,  are  mi 
nutely  detailed  in  the  printed  instructions  which 
are  issued  to  them.  They  are  enjoined  carefully 
to  avoid  whatever  can  excite  apprehension  of  a 
disposition  to  interfere  with  military  authority. 
Before  entering  any  camp,  they  are  required  to 
obtain  the  formal  approval  of  the  Major  General, 
the  Brigadier  General,  and  the  Medical  Director, 
in  whose  military  jurisdiction  the  camp  is  in 
cluded  ;  together  with  an  introduction  to  the 
commanding  officer  of  the  regiment,  and  through 
him  to  the  company  officers.  Having  done  this, 
they  are  required  to  make  a  minute  investigation 
into  every  point  bearing  directly  or  indirectly  on 
the  sanitary  condition  of  the  camp.  Among 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  31 

the  subjects  on  which  they  are  required  to  make 
written  detailed  reports  are  the  quality  of  ra 
tions  and  water,  the  methods  of  camp-cooking, 
the  ventilation  of  tents  and  quarters,  the  drain 
age  of  the  camp  itself,  the  healthfulness  of  its 
site,  the  administration  of  the  hospital,  the  police 
of  the  camp,  and  all  which  that  word  includes ; 
the  quality  of  the  tents,  and  the  material  used  for 
flooring  them ;  the  quality  of  the  clothing  and 
the  personal  cleanliness  of  the  men,  &c.,  &c. 
Whatever  deficiencies  or  evils  they  find  to  exist, 
by  which  the  health,  morale,  or  efficiency  of  the 
men  may  be  endangered,  they  are  instructed  to 
indicate  to  the  proper  officers  ;  at  the  same  time 
offering  advice,  if  it  is  needed,  as  to  the  best 
method  of  remedying  them.  Very  few  camps 
have  been  visited  in  which  important  improve 
ments  have  not  been  ordered  by  the  proper  offi 
cers,  at  the  suggestion  and  in  the  presence  of  the 
Inspector. 

The  influence,  however,  which  officers  uncon 
sciously  receive,  through  the  mere  direction  of 
their  attention  to  unknown  or  neglected  duties, 
by  the  inquiries  which  the  Inspectors  necessarily 
address  to  them,  constitutes  one  great  value 
of  the  services  of  the  Commission.  The  briga 
dier  or  colonel,  who  is  asked  whether  military 
or  sanitary  considerations  determined- the  selec 
tion  of  his  camp-site,  will  not  be  likely,  when 
next  he  chooses  a  cam  ping- ground,  to  plant  it, 
unless  a  military  exigency  so  require,  on  the  lee- 


32  THE  UNITED  STATES 

ward  side  of  a  swamp  or  in  a  damp  wood.  The 
major,  who  is  asked  if  the  drains  about  the  tents 
and  through  the  camp  are  wide  and  deep  and 
straight,  and  kept  free  from  rubbish,  will  get  an 
idea,  if  he  never  had  one  before,  as  to  the  impor 
tance  of  drainage.  When  the  company  cap 
tains  are  asked  if  they,  or  any  of  their  subordi 
nate  officers,  look  after  the  ventilation  of  the 
tents  at  night,  if  they  are  struck  at  short  inter 
vals,  for  the  thorough  cleansing  of  both  the  can 
vas  and  the  site,  they  are  made  to  feel  that  these 
things  are  important;  and  when  subaltern  offi 
cers  and  privates  see  careful  inquiry  made  as  to 
their  habits  of  personal  cleanliness,  and  the  clean 
liness  of  their  camps,  regarding  the  water  they 
drink,  and  the  character  and  cooking  of  their 
food,  concerning  the  sufficiency  of  their  clothing 
and  bedding,  and  the  healthful  conditions  of  their 
rest,  they  are  incited  to  attend  themselves  to  what 
seems  to  give  so  much  concern  to  others,  and 
henceforward  can  hardly  fail  to  think  more  of 
the  influences  affecting  health.  All  this,  of 
course,  cannot  be  specified,  recorded,  and  pre 
sented  under  the  head  of  facts ;  but  it  is  to  be 
dwelt  on  thoughtfully. 

As  every  regiment  brought  to  a  high  sanitary 
condition  is  found  to  be  a  radiating  centre  of 
good  influences,  it  was  thought  that  the  labors 
of  the  Inspectors  (their  number  being  necessarily 
far  too  small)  would  be  most  effectively  and 
economically  applied,  by  making  as  thorough 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  33 

work  as  practicable  in  the  inspection  of  each 
regiment  visited,  and  in  securing  the  efficient  co 
operation  of  its  officers,  rather  than  in  superficial 
examination  and  hurried  efforts  for  the  benefit 
of  a  larger  number.  It  must  be  said  emphat 
ically,  and  in  justice  to  our  volunteer  officers, 
that  the  Inspectors  of  the  Commission  have  sel 
dom  had  occasion  to  complain  in  any  way  of 
the  want  of  prompt,  cordial,  and  intelligent  co 
operation  on  their  parts.  This  was  due  partly 
to  their  honest  sense  of  the  real  service  rendered 
to  them,  and  partly  to  that  obedience  to  the 
spirit  of  the  Commission's  pledge  of  non-interfer 
ence  with  the  military  service,  which  the  wisdom 
of  the  General  Secretary  kept,  by  precept  and 
example,  before  the  mind  of  its  employe's. 

Through  its  Inspectors  the  Commission  has 
distributed  gratuitously  to  the  surgeons  and 
officers  of  regiments  eighteen  concise  treatises 
on  the  best  means  for  preserving  health  in  camp, 
and  on  the  treatment  of  the  sick  and  wounded 
in  camp  and  on  the  battle-field.  Theywere  each 
prepared  by  a  committee  of  gentlemen  selected 
from  the  best  medical  talent  of  the  country,  with- 
special  reference  to  their  peculiar  acquaintance 
with  the  special  subject  intrusted  to  them.  As 
the  surgeons  of  the  Volunteer  Army  are  drawn 
almost  wholly  from  civil  practice,  and  as  no 
books,  nor  even  circulars  of  instruction  in  regard 
to  their  novel  responsibilities  were  issued  to  them 
by  Government,  these  medical  monographs,  al- 


84  THE  UNITED   STATES 

though  very  modest  in  form,  were  found  to  con 
tain  an  amount  of  information  of  such  practical 
value  that  there  is  scarcely  a  surgeon  in  the 
Army  who  has  not  sent  to  the  Commission  to 
ask  for  fresh  copies,  when  the  casualties  of  war 
have  caused  the  loss  of  those  he  had.* 

After  the  inspection  of  a  camp  or  post,  the 
Inspector  is  required  to  make  an  elaborate  re 
port  upon  its  condition.  This  report  consists 
partly  of  written  answers  to  printed  questions, 
one  hundred  and  eighty  in  number,  covering 
every  important  point  connected  with  the  san 
itary  condition  of  the  Army.  These  printed 
questions  are  used  to  secure  information  on  es 
sential  points,  but  all  personal  observations  are 
specially  encouraged.  More  than  one  thousand 
four  hundred  and  seventy  of  these  reports  have 
been  received  by  the  Commission.  They  are  the 
guides  to  the  advice  offered  by  the  Commission 
itself  to  the  Heads  of  Departments.  They  are 
afterwards  carefully  tabulated,  and  suitable  di 
gests  prepared  by  an  accomplished  actuary.  It 
is  much  -to  be  desired  that,  for  the  sake  of  the 
future,  and  in  the  cause  of  humanity,  the  Com 
mission  may  be  enabled  to  continue  this  work, 
and  thus  eventually  to  lay  before  the  country  a 
body  of  military  medical  statistics,  more  com 
plete,  searching,  and  trustworthy  than  any  now 
in  existence. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  primary  business  of 
*  See  Appendix  C. 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  35 

Inspectors  was  not  to  take  care  of  the  sick  and 
wounded,  —  that  was  the  business  of  a  force  of 
men  specially  assigned  to  it,  —  but  to  keep  the 
Commission  in  its  central  offices  informed  of 
the  sanitary  condition  of  the  Army,  and  to  ad 
vise  it  of  excessive  wants,  excessive  neglects, 
frauds,  &c,,  affecting  the  sick  and  wounded. 
For  the  punctual  and  exact  performance  of  this 
duty  of  the  Inspectors,  the  Secretaries  were  held 
accountable  to  the  Commission ;  as,  for  the  duty 
based  upon  it,  the  Commission  itself  is  primarily 
accountable  to  the  President.  This  measure  of 
the  duty  was  fulfilled  without  breaking  its  unity, 
until  the  great  services  in  the  field,  commencing 
in  1862,  swept  even  the  Inspectors  away  from 
their  special  responsibility  into  the  work  of  act 
ual  succor  and  relief,  —  not,  however,  at  any  time 
arresting  the  work.  The  Commission  is  now 
about  to  bring  back  the  Inspectors  to  their 
proper  duties,  and  to  keep  them  to  the  impor 
tant  and  responsible  work  for  which  men  of 
their  acquirements  were  engaged.  In  the  past 
they  have  taught  the  Commission  what  were 
the  needs  of  an  army  in  its  infancy ;  it  now  be 
comes  their  duty  to  teach  it  the  lessons  that  the 
Army  should  learn  from  a  three  years'  experi 
ence,  and  thus  step  by  step  to  rise  to  results 
which  will  be  of  immense  benefit  to  the  coun 
try  should  the  war  be  prolonged. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  public  sympathy 
is  not  greatly  enlisted  in  this  department,  but 


36  THE   UNITED   STATES 

out  of  it  comes  the  very  strength  of  the  work 
of  relief  and  mercy,  —  enlightenment,  —  through 
which  alone  a  practical,  economical,  and  thor 
ough  use  of  the  gifts  of  the  people  can  be  reached. 
Some  definite  results  of  this  work  in  the  shape 
of  facts  may  be  asked  for.  Many  of  these 
(and  the  most  practical)  will  appear  in  the 
course  of  the  narrative.  Only  one  of  them  will 
be  mentioned  here. 

The  statistics  of  the  British  forces  during  the 
war  against  Russia  show  the  following  rates  of 
mortality :  — 

On  the  arrival  of  the  army  in  Turkey,  (April, 
1854,)  to  the  embarkation  for  the  Crimea,  (Sep 
tember,  1854,)  the  annual  death-rate  was  129 
per  1000  men.  In  July,  August,  and  Septem 
ber,  it  was  increased  to  293  per  1000  men  ;  for 
the  next  three  months  to  511  per  1000  men  ;  and 
it  culminated  in  January,  1855,  when  it  reached 
the  fearful  amount  of  1174  per  1000  men.*  In 
other  words,  at  this  rate  it  would  be  necessary, 
in  order  to  supply  the  loss  occasioned  by  death 
alone,  to  replace  the  dead  army  by  a  new  army 
of  equal  strength  in  about  ten  (10±)  months. 
Then  it  was  that  the  British  Government  estab 
lished  sanitary  operations,  and  so  soon  as  their 
influence  began  to  be  felt,  (in  April,  May,  and 
June,  1855,)  the  rate  of  mortality  fell  to  250  per 
1000  men,  and  from  that  time  gradually  and 
rapidly  diminished,  until  the  annual  death-rate 
*  Of  which  97  per  cent,  was  from  disease. 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  37 

for  January,  1856,  (one  year  from  its  culmina 
tion,)  was  25  per  1000  men. 

The  mortality  of  the  United  States  forces  dur 
ing  the  present  war  (exclusive  of  three-months 
men)  is  being  tabulated  by  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission  from  the  records  in  the  Adjutant-Gen 
eral's  office.  These  tables  show  that  from  the 
commencement  of  the  war  to  the  latest  time 
when  they  "could  be  made,  the  annual  death-rate 
of  our  forces  has  been  65  per  1000  men.  From 
June  1st,  1861,  to  March,  1862,  a  period  when 
our  army  lay  comparatively  inactive,  we  find 
the  annual  death-rate  was  44|  per  1000  men. 
During  the  campaign  on  the  Peninsula,  when 
the  effects  of  climate  were  to  the  full  as  deadly, 
if  not  more  so,  than  those  of  the  Crimea,  when 
every  breath  drew  in  swamp  poison,  and  our 
men  advanced  by  forced  marches  through  Vir 
ginia  mire,  and  camped  along  the  banks  of 
malarious  watercourses,  the  annual  death-rate 
was  165  per  1000  men.  To  what  was  this 
owing  ?  Not  to  the  fact  that  our  troops  bring 
a  greater  amount  of  health  into  the  service  than 
those  of  other  armies,  for  their  mortality  during 
the  period  of  inaction  was  much  greater  than 
that  of  the  British  army  during  a  like  period.* 
It  was  owing  in  part,  undoubtedly,  to  lessons 
learnt  from  the  Russian  war,  and  to  the  Arner- 

*  This  is  owing  largely  to  the  careless  inspection  of  re 
cruits,  a  subject  to  which  the  Sanitary  Commission  has  never 
ceased  to  call  the  attention  of  the  Government. 


38  THE  UNITED  STATES 

ican  spirit  of  improvement,  which  has  made  OUT 
armies,  let  who  will  say  to  the  contrary,  a  splen 
did  spectacle  of  progress  in  many  points  of 
efficiency.  But  was  it  not  in  a  chief  degree 
owing  to  the  Sanitary  Commission  ?  Has  not 
the  Sanitary  Commission  a  right  to  point  to 
that  result,  and  say,  "  It  is  mine  ?  " 

A  branch  of  Special  Inspection  was  estab 
lished  by  the  Commission  for  a  limited  period 
of  time,  in  September,  1862,  to  examine  into 
the  condition  and  wants  of  Army  General 
Hospitals  throughout  the  country.  While  the 
strength  of  the  army  had  been  nearly  doubled, 
and  the  population  in  General  Hospitals  quad 
rupled,  the  Staff  of  Medical  Inspection  had  not 
been  increased.  Under  these  circumstances,  the 
Commission  resolved  to  seek  among  the  best 
and  ablest  members  of  the  medical  profession 
the  services,  for  short  periods,  of  men  ready  to 
help  the  national  cause  and  the  cause  of  hu 
manity,  by  undertaking  a  course  of  Hospital 
Inspection. 

An  efficient  corps  of  such  Inspectors  was 
organized  under  Dr.  Henry  G.  Clark,  of  Boston, 
Inspector-in- Chief.  The  approval  and  author 
ization  of  the  Surgeon- General  were  accorded 
to  them,  and  their  duty  at  once  commenced ; 
its  distinct  object  being  to  secure  to  sick  and 
wounded  soldiers  thorough  and  able  hospital 
treatment,  by  the  detection  of  all  defects  in 
administration  or  professional  care  susceptible 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  39 

of  remedy  or  improvement.  When  the  list  of 
these  Inspectors  is  read,  showing  names  which 
command  the  highest  respect  in  many  large 
communities,  and  the  fact  is  told  that  their 
suggestions  with  regard  to  defects  and  evils 
found  to  be  existing  in  Army  Hospitals  have, 
when  transmitted  to  the  Surgeon-General,  inva 
riably  received  his  immediate  and  effective  atten 
tion,  nothing  more  need  be  said  upon  this  branch 
of  the  subject.* 

The  reports  of  all  Inspectors  are  taken  into 
the  office  of  Statistics,  presided  over  by  an 
actuary  of  great  attainments,  Mr.  E.  B.  Elliott. 
There  they  are  recorded  and  tabulated  :  first,  in 
what  is  called  the  "  Abstract  of  Camp  Inspec 
tion,  classified  by  States  "  ;  secondly,  in  a  more 
condensed  table  or  abstract  of  the  leading  points 
about  each  regiment  inspected. 

With  this  current  work  much  else  is  carried 
on.  Data  are  being  collected,  and  abstracts 
made  from  the  rolls  of  the  Adjutant- General's 
office,  relating  to  certain  points  in  the  condition 
of  the  troops,  out  of  which  abstracts  vast  in 
struction  for  the  future  is  derived.  Of  these 
rolls,  10,000  have  been  already  examined,  cov 
ering  at  least  900  regiments  and  750,000  men. 
The  enormous  amount  of  labor  necessary  for 
this  work  cannot  be  comprehended  by  a  mind 
not  trained  to  such  details. 

Returns  to  this  office  from  the  Inspectors 
*  See  Appendix  D. 


40  THE  UNITED   STATES 

travelling  with  armies  on  the  march,  are  also 
made,  and  there  tabulated,  showing  the  effect 
on  men  of  long  and  continuous  marches,  &c., 
&c.,  and  the  influence  of  these  causes  on  the 
health  and  endurance  of  the  troops.  Returns 
are  also  recorded  and  tabulated  on  wounds  and 
injuries  received  in  battle. 

A  Department  of  Vital  Statistics  has  been 
commenced,  which  is  yet  in  its  infancy,  but 
which  has  within  its  scope  the  prospect  of  re 
sults  greater  than  any  yet  attained.  And  last, 
but  not  least  in  present  results,  is  a  series  of  dia 
grams  prepared  from  the  rolls  of  the  Adjutant- 
General's  office,  showing  the  constant  rates  of 
mortality  and  sickness,  with  various  particulars, 
throughout  the  army  and  in  special  portions 
of  it. 

All  this  work  is  of  untold  value,  not  only 
now,  but  to  future  ages  ;  and  if  the  Sanitary 
Commission  had  not  promptly  undertaken  it, 
its  practical  results  would  have  been  greatly 
delayed  ;  for  the  records  in  the  government 
offices,  owing  to  want  of  time  and  adequate 
clerks,  are  either  not  tabulated  at  all,  or  so 
slowly  as  to  cause  despair  of  their  appearing 
in  time  to  be  useful  to  this  generation. 

Let  us  trust  that  the  work  may  be  enabled 
to  go  on  to  its  end,  so  that  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission  may  give  to  future  eras  of  suffering 
the  experience  and  warnings  of  the  present. 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  41 

THE   BRANCHES.— SOURCES   OF    SUPPLY. 

At  the  moment  when  the  Sanitary  Commis- 
sjp^  acquired  its  functions  from  Government, 
its  relation  to  the  women's  work  throughout 
the  land  changed,  with  the  plastic  ease  which 
marks  the  change  into  things  better  and  truer, 
especially  in  moments  of  trial.  No  longer  a 
mere  commission  of  inquiry,  for  the  purposes 
of  the  Woman's  Relief  Societies,  it  became 
the  head,  the  strength,  the  teacher,  the  central 
means  through  which  the  work  of  the  women 
was  to  flow.  And  here  it  may  be  said  that  no 
where  is  the  true  relation  of  men  and  women 
to  each  other  better  worked  out  than  in  the 
service  of  the  Sanitary  Commission.  And  it 
may  also  be  said  that  never  before  in  the  history 
of  the  world  have  women  had  such  an  oppor 
tunity  to  use  themselves  for  a  great  purpose. 
In  England,  those  women  who,  with  Florence 
Nightingale,  did  their  work  in  the  Crimea, 
showed  a  courage  in  taking  the  initial  step 
to  which  we  can  lay  no  claim.  Our  turn  to 
take  up  the  work  came  after  the  world  had 
applauded  it.  They  did  not  know  whether  they 
went  to  honor  or  to  dishonor;  —  enough  that 
they  went  to  avert  suffering.  But  they  had  no 
such  opportunity  as  ours.  They  had  no  na 
tional  channel  through  which  every  woman  in 
the  land  could  feel  that  she  might  work  with 
the  Government  itself,  and  reach  the  very  spot 


42  THE  UNITED   STATES 

of  need.  Theirs  was  no  national  cause,  in 
which  the  women  were  to  rise  as  the  men  ;  and 
as  the  men  went  to  their  work  in  the  national 
army,  so  the  women  were  to  go  with  them,  in 
an  organization  running  side  by  side  with  the 
army,  —  knowing  its  needs  and  meeting  them, 
—  yet  all  the  while  at  home,  in  quietness  nursing 
thoughts  of  those  in  the  field,  whilst  their  busy 
hands  poured  into  the  thousand  channels  sup 
plies  of  relief  and  love.  Supplies  which,  meet 
ing  in  one  great  centre,  were  to  take  a  wider 
flow,  and,  by  instructed  and  authorized  means, 
were  to  reach  and  relieve  suffering  wherever  a 
regiment  or  company  of  soldiers  could  be  found. 

But  all  this  had  to  be  learnt;  perhaps  it  is 
not  wholly  learnt  yet.  And  the  first  step  of  the 
Woman's  Central  Association  of  Relief  was 
to  establish  relations  with  other  women,  and  so 
to  learn  and  teach  how  to  make  the  best  of  the 
opportunity  given  to  them.  Happily,  women 
were  found,  in  every  part  of  the  country,  who 
comprehended  at  once  the  great  principle  of 
union  and  national  working  together,  which 
is  the  foundation  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  ; 
and  many  who  did  not  see  it  at  once,  soon  came 
to  it  out  of  their  very  needs. 

Preliminary  steps  were  rapidly  taken,  and  the 
tide  of  unorganized  effort  began  to  set  into  the 
great  channel.  Boxes,  cases,  packages,  which 
before  had  gone  independently,  and  often  fruit- 
.essly,  on  their  tender  and  patriotic  mission,  and 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  43 

which,  if   not  wholly  wasted,  fell   far  short   of 
the  generous  good  intended,  now  poured  into  the 
Central  Depot,  and  went  forward  from  there  to 
the   spot  where   the   need    of   them  was   ascer 
tained.     From  a  variety  of  testimony  which  is 
overwhelming,  the  fact  is  known  that  the  waste 
of  the  first  unorganized  work  for  the  needs  of 
the  Army  is  scarcely  to  be  estimated.     But  be« 
yond  the  evil  of  the  waste  of  goods  was  the 
waste   of   living   energy   and    power ;    and   far 
beyond  that,  again,  was  the  spirit  which  began 
to  spring  up,  innocently   God  knows,  yet  lead 
ing  to  that  evil  which  has  brought   us  to  dis 
union    and    the    rupture   of   our   country,  —  the 
spirit  of  "  our  section,"  "  our  State,"  "  our  regi 
ment."     This  spirit  grew  up  in  the  commence 
ment   because    no    higher    spirit    was    obvious. 
Boxes,  love-freighted,  were   sent   to  "  our  regi 
ment,"  because  that  was  the  only  spot  to  which 
we  knew  how  to   send.     No   wilfully  sectional 
motive  had  influence  ;  it  was  simply  ignorance 
of  other  methods  which  produced  the  sectional 
result.     To  be  sure,  love  of  friends  and  the  sat 
isfaction  of  knowing  from  them  that  the  boxes 
had    arrived,  led  to   much  of   this   unorganized 
work,  although   its    evil  results  were    so    grave 
that  many  were   disposed  to  condemn  it  in  a 
spirit  of  greater  severity. 

Amongst  these  results,  and  setting  aside 
the  important  question  of  waste,  may  be 
named  that  of  the  petty  jealousies  it  was  capa- 


44  THE  UNITED   STATES 

ble  of  fostering,  and  out  of  which,  as  we  all 
know,  comes  emptiness  of  result.  Not  the 
great  principle  of  Union,  but  rivalries  among 
societies  ;  "  our  regiment's  better  furnished  than 
your  regiment,"  answered  by  rivalries  among 
the  men  themselves.  "  Our  people  love  us  bet 
ter  than  your  people,  for  look  what  they  send! " 
or,  perhaps,  "  Our  people  love  us  less  than  their 
people,  for  look  what  they  send !  "  Ah  !  what  is 
this  but  the  germ  -of  the  principle  which  struck 
the  blow  at  our  country,  and  which,  if  carried 
out,  would  have  paralyzed  even  the  nationality 
of  the  loyal  Army  ? 

But  the  impression  must  not  be  given  that 
the  army,  as  a  general  thing,  approved  of  this 
sectional  method  of  aiding  it.  On  the  field, 
banded  into  one  whole,  fighting  for  the  principle 
of  Union,  disunited  and  sectional  bounty  was 
against  the  grain  of  its  daily  feelings.  The  men 
themselves  rebuked  it;  and  there  are  many  in 
stances  in  which  when  the  kind  face  looked  into 
barn  or  tent  or  ward,  and  the  kind  voice  said, 
as  the  basketful  of  relief  was  opened,  "  Any 
boy  here  from  the  State  of  ....?"  that  the 
men  of  that  State  kept  silence ;  —  or,  better 
still,  they  answered,  "  No !  only  United  States 
soldiers !  " 

But  all  this  had  to  be  learnt,  and  had  to  be 
taught.  It  was  believed  from  the  very  start,  by 
those  who  brought  to  this  war  a  living  faith  in 
the  people,  that  they  needed  only  to  see  the 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  45 

scheme  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  in  its  great 
national  relations  and  analogies,  —  only  to  have 
some  proof  that  it  would  sustain  its  pledges, 
and  be,  as  well  as  claim  to  be,  the  great  effective 
channel  of  the  people's  love  to  the  people's  army, 
—  to  come  to  its  support  in  loving  ardor,  and  on 
the  great  principle  for  which  husbands  and  sons 
were  laying  down  their  lives  upon  the  battle 
field.  And  this  belief  has  been  justified;  if 
the  people  have  not  all  come  to  the  response 
expected,  it  is  because  the  Commission  has  not 
had  the  time  nor  the  means  to  teach  its  truths. 
Wherever  its  broad  principles  have  been  made 
known,  wherever  the  proofs  have  been  given  of 
its  actual  work,  the  people  have  sprung  to  join 
it ;  not,  let  us  say,  for  itself  or  for  its  agents, — 
they  are  nothing,  —  but  for  the  sake  of  its  great 
principles,  and  for  the  vast  opportunities  which 
a  wise  Government  has  given  to  it. 

If  the  history  which  underlies  all  this  could 
be  given  (and  it  never  can  be),  what  a  record  it 
would  be  of  human  nature  !  Let  us  follow  home 
the  cases  that  come  into  one  large  branch  from 
a  thousand  villages :  the  people  that  packed 
them  never  saw  a  wounded  soldier ;  they  have 
no  stimulants  of  excitement ;  their  individual  ex 
ertions  are  never  known  beyond  their  little  vil 
lage,  and  seem  as  nothing  compared  to  the  great 
whole.  The  people  of  cities  give  money  with 
out  feeling  it,  but  it  is  the  farmers'  wives  and 
daughters  who  make  the  sacrifices;  the  mate- 


46  THE  UNITED   STATES 

rials  are  purchased  by  money  earned  by  daily 
work;  the  time  is  taken  out  of  the  night's  rest, 
and  then,  when  the  box  is  ready,  they  send  it 
away  to  strangers,  not  knowing  where  it  is  to 
go,  nor  who  it  is  that  shall  receive  it.  This  is 
Faith,  and  it  is  human  nature  rising  out  of  self 
—  which  is  Christianity.  Let  us  go  into  that 
house  where  a  Soldiers'  Aid  Society  is  at  work : 
it  is  in  a  little  village  in  Connecticut,  as  neat  as 
all  New  England  villages  are,  but  the  people  are 
very  poor.  As  we  examine  a  quilt  which  is  on 
the  frame,  pieced  out  of  an  old  dress,  for  ma 
terials  are  their  greatest  difficulty,  the  mistress 
of  the  house  (she  is  a  widow)  says,  in  the  sim 
plest  way,  with  a  glance  at  the  windows,  "You 
see  our  window-curtains  have  gone."  Before 
the  war  those  curtains  were  the  pride  and  pleas 
ure  of  that  neat  New  England  home.  And  shall 
one  of  us,  —  we  who  work  in  sight,  we  who  wrork 
with  great  results,  we  who  take  a  pride  in  our 
faculties,  and  enjoyment  in  the  use  of  them,  — 
shall  we  dare  to  name  our  work  in  the  same 
breath  with  the  self-sacrifice  of  these  women  ? 
A  Council  of  Representatives  from  the  prin 
cipal  Aid  Societies,  from  all  parts  of  the  loyal 
States,  was  held  in  Washington  in  November, 
1862  ;  out  of  this  grew  the  effort,  still  in  progress, 
to  reach  a  more  thorough  organization,  on  the 
part  of  each  Branch  of  that  part  of  the  country 
from  which  its  supplies  were  drawn.  This  effort 
has  been  strengthened,  as  it  was*  found  that  from 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  47 

obvious  causes  the  hospital  supplies  of  the 
Commission  were  beginning  to  fall  off.  The 
plan  for  this  effort  which  was  proposed  by  the 
Boston  Branch  of  the  Commission  proved  to  be 
by  far  the  best,  and  it  has  been  adopted  by 
many,  if  not  by  all,  the  branches.  The  system, 
in  brief,  was  to  divide  the  field  of  each  branch  into 
such  sections  as  convenience  and  the  facilities  of 
transportation  pointed  out ;  each  section  with  an 
Associate  Manager  of  the  Branch  resident  with 
in  it.  In  this  way  close  relations  could  be  estab 
lished  with  all  auxiliaries  ;  truth  could  be  broadly 
spread,  and  the  country,  in  its  remotest  villages, 
could  feel  the  impetus  given  by  the  central  head. 
Through  these  Associate  Managers  it  could 
be  said  to  the  people :  —  The  work  of  the  Com 
mission  invites  the  closest  scrutiny.  It  is  be 
cause  those  who  have  investigated  it  most 
thoroughly  —  who  have  examined  its  books  ; 
followed  its  Inspectors  into  camp  and  hospital ; 
its  relief  agents  on  to  the  battle-field,  and  its 
supplies  to  the  soldiers  —  are  its  most  earnest 
supporters,  that  we  wish  to  sav  to  those  who 
stay  at  home,  and  by  their  unwearied  labor  and 
patriotic  zeal  keep  this  great  machinery  in  mo 
tion  :  You  cannot  see  what  is  going  on,  but 
you  shall  know  all  and  everything.  We  want 
you  to  learn  what  we  learn,  and  know  what  we 
know,  and  thus  be  able  to  determine  fairly,  for 
yourselves,  whether  the  Commission  is,  or  is  not, 
worthy  of  your  support  and  confidence.  It  is 


48  THE  UNITED   STATES 

truth  that  we  would  give  yon,  —  truth  that  you 
shall  have,  if  so  be  that  you  will  take  it. 

As  a  preliminary  measure,  and  to  open  a  more 
general  correspondence,  a  circular  letter  was  sent 
by  some  of  the  Branches  to  the  Secretaries  of 
all  their  auxiliary  societies.  This  will  be  found 
in  the  Appendix  (E)  and  will  show  the  princi 
ple  on  which  the  women's  work  throughout  the 
country  is  being  organized. 

To  form  this  network  of  organized  effort 
throughout  the  land,  the  Branches  have  gen 
erally  arranged  to  draw  their  supplies  according 
to  geographical  limits  ;  —  in  other  words,  geog 
raphy  being  now  determined  by  steam,  they 
are  to  draw  them  according  to  the  lines  of  trans 
portation  by  rivers  and  railroads. 

Brief  mention  of  these  Branches  must  be 
made  here.  In  one  sense  they  are  indepen 
dent  of  the  Sanitary  Commission,  because  they 
have  a  body  of  their  own,  laws  and  a  system 
of  their  own  ;  but  all  for  what  ?  —  to  pour,  with 
power  and  economy,  the  vital  strength  into  the 
central  head  and  heart  which  guides  them. 
The  principle  of  their  relation  to  the  United 
States  Sanitary  Commission  is  best  shown  in 
the  vote  by  which  the  first  "  Branch  "  came  into 
existence. 

"  Resolved —  That  the  Woman's  Central  As 
sociation  of  Relief,  at  New  York,  is  hereby,  at  its 
own  generous  instance,  constituted  an  auxiliary 
branch  of  the  Sanitary  Commission,  retaining 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  49 

full  power  to  conduct  its  own  affairs  in  all  re 
spects  independently  of  the  Commission;  neither 
the  Commission  nor  the  Association  being  in 
any  way  responsible  for  any  pecuniary  liabilities 
or  obligations,  except  such  as  are  contracted  or 
incurred  by  itself  or  its  authorized  agents. 

"  Resolved —  That  the  Corresponding  Secre 
tary  of  the  Board  communicate,  in  writing, 
semi-weekly,  with  the  Woman's  Central  Asso 
ciation  of  Relief,  keeping  it  regularly  informed 
of  the  wants  of  the  Army,  and  the  expectations 
of  the  Commission  from  that  source  of  supply." 

The  writer  deeply  regrets  an  inability  to  give, 
in  this  place,  a  proper  sketch  of  several  of  the 
great  Branches  of  the  West;  it  has  not  been  pos 
sible  to  obtain  their  reports,*  and  the  reader  must 
find  them  in  their  deeds  as  this  narrative  goes  on  : 
but  the  narrative  also  will  be  unsatisfactory  and 
inadequate,  and  the  reader  must  bear  in  mind 
that  the  Western  Branches  have  been,  from  the 
first,  in  keeping  with  their  western  character  for 
generosity  and  energy. 

Branch  of  the  United  States  Sanitary  Com 
mission  for  Northern  Ohio.  —  The  call  to  arms 
was  sounded  on  the  15th  of  April,  1861 ;  on 
the  20th  of  April  the  Soldiers'  Aid  Society 
in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  was  formed;  and  it  has 
the  honor  —  the  great  and  lasting  honor  —  of 

*  They  were  written  for  at  the  earliest  moment,  but  have 
not  been  received.  If  possible,  something  upon  the  subject 
will  be  placed  in  Appendix  F. 


50  THE   UNITED   STATES 

being  the  first  society  of  women  that  met  and 
was  organized.  With  earnest  hearts  and  busy 
but  unskilful  hands,  went  on  the  preparation 
of  lint  and  bandages.  The  first  service  that  it 
performed  was  to  supply  the  wants  of  volunteers 
arriving  at  a  Camp  of  Instruction  near  their  city 
Havelocks  were  made  and  furnished  to  the  troops; 
and  then  the  Society  languished,  not  from  lack 
of  interest  in  the  work,  but  simply  from  utter  igno 
rance  of  what  the  work  ought  to  be.  It  revived, 
from  time  to  time,,  as  openings  to  a  real  service 
were  seen  before  it,  and  the  idea  presented  itself 
to  centralize  at  this  depot  the  efforts  of  all  wom 
en  in  that  part  of  the  State  of  Ohio.  Meetings 
were  regularly  held,  and  a  concerted  action  was 
obtained.  Every  one  strove  to  do  her  part, 
bat  every  one  doubted  as  to  the  proper  disburse 
ment  of  the  stores.  Informal  letters  of  inquiry 
were  written,  —  one  of  them  to  the  United  States 
Sanitary  Commission.  In  reply  the  advice  was 
given,  to  confine  their  shipments,  for  the  sake  of 
economy  and  natural  causes,  to  the  armies  then 
collecting  at  the  West.  But  the  hazard  of  trans 
portation,  and  the  difficulty  of  guarding  against 
waste  or  misapplication  of  stores,  were  deeply 
felt ;  out  of  this  feeling  grew  a  proposal  from  the 
society  to  become,  and  it  accordingly  became,  a 
Branch  of  the  United  States  Sanitary  Commis 
sion. 

Strengthened    in    its    work   by  the    generous 
inflowing  of  its  auxiliaries  from  all  parts  of  its 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  51 

field,  this  Society  has  borne  its  part  in  the  ma 
jestic  work  of  the  West.  At  the  present  day  it 
sends  a  car-load  to  the  Central  Depot  at  Louis 
ville  every  ten  days  ;  makes  shipments  at  irregu 
lar  intervals  to  Wheeling,  Va.,  and  to  Kansas ; 
besides  occasionally  sending  in  smaller  quanti 
ties  to  other  points  where  special  need  occurs. 
The  Army  of  the  Cumberland  receives  the  bulk 
of  its  stores,  but  it  has  added  largely  to  the  lading 
of  many  Sanitary  Commission  boats  for  Vicks- 
burg.  With  all  this  work  accomplished,  and 
amidst  their  rejoicings  at  the  opening  of  the 
Mississippi,  the  hearts  of  these  women  went  to 
that  portion  of  the  land  then  enduring  special  suf 
fering.  "  We  have  gratefully  watched,"  they  say, 
"  the  course  of  our  Army  at  the  East,  and  only 
wished  that  we  were  not  too  far  off  to  help  the 
sufferers  at  Gettysburg.  The  Sanitary  Commis 
sion  has  left  a  noble  record  upon  that  battle 
field  :  we  hear  for  ourselves  the  gratitude  ex 
pressed  for  the  Commission,  its  agents,  and  its 
supplies,  from  the  wounded  who  come  through 
this  city  from  Vicksburg  and  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland.  We  hope  that  we  may  soon  see 
the  end  of  this  war  ;  but,  lest  that  hope  should 
make  us  impatient  in  our  work,  we  temper  it 
by  constantly  remembering  that  we  are  '  in  for 
the  war,'  be  the  time  what  it  may." 

Cincinnati  Branch  United  States  Sanitary  Com 
mission.  —  The  first  meeting  of  the  Cincinnati 
Branch  of  the  United  States  Sanitary  Commis- 


52  THE  UNITED   STATES 

sion  was  held  Nov.  27,  1861,  when  steps  were 
taken  to  form  a  working  organization,  to  obtain 
a  depot  and  an  office,  to  issue  a  circular  to  the 
people  of  Southern  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Northern 
Kentucky,  and  to  open  the  work  of  inspection, 
and  supply  the  wants  of  camp  and  hospital 
within  these  limits.  A  few  days  later,  the 
"Woman's  Central  Soldiers'- Aid-Society "  was 
under  way,  composed  of  delegates  from  twenty- 
four  independent  societies  already  at  work  since 
the  commencement  of  the  war  in  the  city  and 
county  of  Cincinnati  ;  for  it  must  not  be  sup 
posed  that,  although  the  organization  of  the 
Board  was  deferred  to  November,  the  citi 
zens  of  Cincinnati  have  looked  idly  upon  the 
great  struggle  of  the  country  for  national  ex 
istence  and  the  integrity  of  territory  and  insti 
tution. 

On  the  13th  of  December,  1881,  a  circular 
was  issued  stating  the  position  and  purpose 
of  the  United  States  Sanitary  Commission,  and 
explaining  in  detail  that  system  through  which 
the  liberal  and  patriotic,  especially  the  women 
of  the  country,  might  cooperate  with  the  Gov 
ernment.  In  all  this  the  advice  was  taken  of 
some  of  the  older  auxiliaries  of  the  Commis 
sion.  The  strength  of  union  was  soon  apparent. 
At  the  central  office,  the  work  of  packing  and 
forwarding  supplies  became  so  great  as  to  re 
quire  the  labors  of  six  men,  and  at  the  present 
day  there  is  no  point  within  the  lines  of  the 


SANITARY   COMMISSION. 


53 


Armies  of  the  Mississippi  which  their  abundant 
stores  do  not  systematically  supply. 

Some  general  idea  of  the  work  of  the  West 
ern  Branches  may  be  obtained  from  the  follow 
ing  list  of  the  issues  of  supplies  from  their 
depots  from  Sept.  1,  1861,  to  Sept.  1,  1863. 
The  branches  here  represented  are  those  of 
Chicago,  Cincinnati,  Cleveland,  Louisville,  Pitts- 
burg,  Buffalo,  and  New  Albany.  Detroit  and 
Columbus  not  reported. 


Packages  ...............  62,445 

Blankets  ...............  10,911 

Comfortables  ...........  38,957 

Bed-ticks  ...............  24,898 

Pillow-ticks  ............  10,421 

Pillows  .................   18,841 

Pillow-cases  ............  153,017 

Sheets  .................  87,082 

Shirts   .................  192,712 

Drawers  ................  107,465 

Dressing-gowns   ........  11,483 

Coats  and  Vests  .........     8,999 

Towels  and  Handk'fs  ____  270,276 

Socks  ..................  84,485 

Slippers  ................  15,207 

Mittens  ................     9,180 

Nightcaps  ..............     4,464 

Bandages  and  Rags.  .205,632  Ibs. 
Sponges  and  Pads  .  .  .  51,024    " 
Pin-cushions  ............  '27,182 

Fruit-cans    .............  97,642 

Concen.  Beef.  .......  30,116  Ibs. 


Condensed  Milk  .....  46,807  Ibs. 

Crackers  ...........  100,320    " 

Dried  Beef  .........  13,423    " 

Tea  ................     5,779" 

Sugar    .............   21  ,580    " 

Dried  Fruit  .........  466,347    " 

Light  Groceries  .....  47,657    " 

Codfish  ............  50,862   " 

Cheese  ............   11,981    " 

Butter  ............  40,170    " 

Eggs  ...............  38,633  doz. 

Wine  and  Spirits  .  .29,378  bottles 
Apple-Butter  .......  2,160  galls. 

Pickles  ............  27,471     " 

Sauer  Kraut  ........  3,780     " 

Potatoes  ...........  50,281  bush. 

Ale  and  Cider  ......  11,584  galls. 

Chickens  .................  4,134 

Crutches  .............  3,309  prs. 

Miscellaneous  articles 
Hospital  Furniture  .  . 


UC 


The  Eastern  Branches  are  those  in  New 
York,  Boston,  Philadelphia,  Buffalo,  and  Pitts- 
burg.  The  first  derives  its  supplies  (on  the 
principle  already  named)  from  the  States  of 


54  THE  UNITED  STATES 

New  York,  Northern  New  Jersey,  Rhode  Island, 
and  Connecticut ;  the  second  from  Maine,  Ver 
mont,  New  Hampshire,  and  Massachusetts  ;  the 
third  from  southern  New  Jersey,  Delaware,  and 
Pennsylvania;  the  fourth  and  fifth  from  the  west 
ern  parts  of  the  States  of  New  York  and  Penn 
sylvania.  The  first  of  these  (10  Cooper  Union, 
New  York)  led  the  way,  as  we  have  shown,  April 
25th,  1861.  The  second  (22  Summer  Street,  Bos 
ton)  followed  in  the  autumn  of  1861  with  that 
earnestness  of  purpose,  that  steadiness  of  will, 
which  are  the  birthright  and  the  power  of  New 
England.  The  third  (1307  Chestnut  Street,  Phil 
adelphia)  has  come  but  recently  into  the  Union 
work.  For  this  reason  some  discouragement 
was  felt  as  it  entered  upon  its  effort  to  turn  the 
liberality  of  the  State  into  the  national  channel. 
The  delay,  however,  has  proved  an  element  in 
its  favor.  The  zeal  of  the  societies  throughout 
the  State  had  begun  to  languish,  but  the  spirit 
and  principles  of  the  Sanitary  Commission,  when 
laid  clearly  before  them,  ran  like  fire  through 
their  veins,  until,  to-day,  in  act  and  promise,  this 
Branch  holds  ground  with  all  the  others.  The 
fourth  (No.  2,  Adams's  Block,  Washington  Street, 
Buffalo)  sprang  up  simultaneously  with  the  sec 
ond,  in  the  autumn  of  1861,  through  the  influ 
ence  of  some  associate  members  of  the  Com 
mission.  -No  branch  has  worked  more  faithfully 
to  show  the  truth  and  instil  the  principles  of  the 
Sanitary  Commission,  learning  them  and  teach- 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  55 

ing  them  with  wisdom,  faith,  and  patience.  The 
fifth  (59  4th  Street,  Pittsburg,  Pa.)  has  brought 
to  the  Commission  an  ardor  in  its  service,  a  faith 
fulness  to  its  spirit,  which  have  earned  for  it  a 
noble  response  throughout  the  western  part  of 
the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  The  two  Branches 
last  named  send  their  supplies  East  or  West  as 
necessity  demands,  but  chiefly  to  the  Armies  in 
the  West. 

These  fields  are  again  broken  up  into  "  Cen 
tres  of  Collection,"  in  the  cities,  from  which 
everything  flows  into  the  Branches,  where  the 
supplies  are  held  at  the  disposal  of  the  central 
head. 

The  work  done  by  the  gentlemen  and  the 
gentlewomen  of  the  land,  in  the  offices  and 
storehouses  of  the  Branch  Commissions,  is  that 
of  an  immense  shipping  business.  The  boxes 
come  in  from  every  part  of  their  tract  of  supply  : 
from  the  centres  of  collection,  from  the  villages 
and  country  towns.1 

The  goods  are  sorted  and  stamped  "  U.  S. 
Sanitary  Commission  "  ;  then  each  article,  and 
each  kind  of  article,  is  repacked  in  separate 
boxes,  which  are  closed  up  and  held  ready  on 
demand.  Soon  the  demand  cornes.  A  telegram 

1  There  is  a  pathos  in  these  boxes,  which  none  but  those 
who  have  unpacked  them  can  understand.  But  alas !  toe 
often  no  care  has  been  taken  to  send  a  list  within  them,  nor 
a  letter  by  mail ;  and  so  they  can  never  be  identified,  and 
the  grateful  hearts  which  are  unpacking  them  must  grieve 
over  the  impossibility  of  acknowledging  their  receipt. 


56  THE   UNITED   STATES 

arrives  from  Washington,  "  The  transport . 

sails  to-day  for  Beaufort,  S.  C."  The  Branch 
knows  what  is  needed  in  that  region  and  that 

o 

climate,  and  within  an  hour  boxes  of  thin  flan 
nel  shirts,  cotton  socks,  light  quilts,  single  wrap 
pers,  mosquito  netting,  fans,  &c.,  &c.,  are  on 
their  way  to  the  Government  transport.  Or, 
it  may  be  that  the  season  is  winter,  and  the 
region  a  cold  one ;  then  go  forth  the  stores  of 
warm  clothing  (greatly  needed  just  now  by  all 
the  Branches)  :  blankets,  bedding,  heavy  quilts, 
&c.  The  thoughtfulness  and  tenderness  of  the 
Commission,  in  these  little  niceties,  remind  us 
of  a  mother's  care,  (little  niceties  we  call  them, 
but  are  they  not  the  source  of  a  large  econ 
omy?)  There  is  something  inexpressibly  touch 
ing  in  this  looking  at  the  masses  as  individuals, 
guessing  and  foretelling  their  necessities,  as  a 
mother  sends  to  her  absent  one  those  comforts 
which  her  anxious  thought  tells  her  that  he  must 
need. 

Every  week,  an  account  of  stock  on  hand,  and 
of  the  distribution,  is  sent  from  every  Branch  to 
the  central  office  in  Washington,  and  the  Relief 
Agents  who  have  received  these  supplies  ac 
count  for  them  weekly  to  the  same  office :  so 
that  a  knowledge  of  all  articles  on  hand,  and  of 
the  distribution  throughout  the  United  States,  is 
possessed  at  any  moment  by  the  central  head. 

A  large  number  of  cases,  especially  from  the 
Boston  Branch,  go  into  the  storehouses  in  Wash- 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  57 

ington  from  which  the  Armies  of  Virginia  re 
ceive  their  supply.  These  storehouses  are  five 
in  number:  one,  the  receiving  building;  the  sec 
ond  for  woollen  goods  (alas  !  too  empty)  ;  the 
third  for  cotton  goods  ;  the  fourth  for  edibles 
the  fifth,  miscellaneous. 

Out  of  20,000  cases  sent  to  these  warehouses, 
but  one  is  known  to  have  been  lost.  The  letters 
announcing  them  are  copied  into  a  book  ;  an<^ 
an  agent  watches  for  them  at  the  railroad,  and 
keeps  his  book  of  their  receipt  :  the  agent  at 
the  warehouses,  who  receives  and  sorts  them, 
keeps  his  book  ;  the  agent  at  the  disbursing  or 
distributing  office  keeps  his  book ;  and  every 
day  these  several  books  are  brought  together 
at  the  Central  Office,  checking  and  balancing 
each  other ;  and  every  morning  a  printed  sched 
ule-sheet  is  filled  out,  showing  goods  on  hand, 
what,  and  how  much,  of  each  and  every  article. 

We  have  now  shown  briefly  how  the  people's 
gifts  are  collected  and  dealt  with.  Nothing, 
however,  can  ever  show  the  loving  confidence 
of  the  people  in  the  Commission,  growing  and 
strengthening  by  tangible  proof,  day  after  day, 
month  after  month,  year  by  year. 

We  must  now  follow  those  gifts  along  their 
wider  flow,  into  the  regions  and  places  of  suf 
fering. 


PART  II. 

GENERAL  RELIEF. 

THE  opening  work  of  the  Sanitary  Commis 
sion  was  naturally  one  of  prevention  rather  than 
cure.  Inspection  and  inquiry  was  its  first  object 
and  its  first  labor.  It  was  no  sooner  fairly  in 
existence  than  the  great  flight  of  Bull  Run  oc 
curred.  An  inquiry  made  into  the  causes  of 
that  disaster ;  its  history  from  a  sanitary  point 
of  view,  —  showing  how  far  the  flight  and  panic 
were  due  to  the  weary  and  exhausted  preceding 
condition  of  the  troops,  —  was,  and  still  remains, 
one  of  the  remarkable  works  of  the  Commis 
sion  ;  and  it  was  one  which  produced,  even  in 
other  countries,  a  just  sense  of  its  character 
and  value. 

Out  of  that  disaster  the  Commission,  taught 
always  by  necessity,  came  into  another  field  of 
work,  which  has  since  become  one  of  its  most 
beneficent;  for  the  cup  of  cold  water  given  to 
fainting  men  as  they  toiled  back  into  Wash 
ington,  was  the  earliest  act  in  the  history  of 
Special  Relief.  Verily,  it  has  in  nowise  lost  its 
reward.  A  sketch  of  the  history  of  this  Relief 
will  be  given  later.  It  may  be  said  here  that 


THE  U.   S.   SANITARY  COMMISSION.  59 

it  was  under  way  early  in  August  1861 ;  its  first 
object  being  to  supply  to  the  sick  men  of  regi 
ments  arriving  at  Washington  such  medicines, 
food,  and  care,  as  it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
receive  from  their  own  officers,  in  the  confusion 
of  their  arrival,  with  the  regimental  medicine- 
chest  inaccessible  in  the  baggage-car,  and  the 
regimental  surgeon  and  quartermaster  obliged 
to  leave  the  men  and  go  to  hunt  up  government 
officials  in  a  strange  city. 

A  few  weeks  later,  we  find  a  little  record 
from  which  will  date  an  enlargement  of  the 
work. 

"  August  25th,  I  went  to  the  Paymaster's 
Department,  by  request  of  a  sick  man  at  the 
Station  House,  who  had  his  papers,  but  said 
he  was  so  weak  he  could  not  push  up  to  the 
window  and  get  his  pay.  I  found  about  forty 
men  waiting  in  the  yard  of  the  office,  some 
apparently  very  feeble.  This  was  on  Tuesday 
afternoon.  One  man  had  been  waiting  since 
Saturday  forenoon.  He  was  lame  and  weak, 
and  the  other  new-comers  kept  him  back.  Three 
others  had  waited  since  Monday  morning ;  one 
who  was  there  all  day  Saturday  without  get 
ting  his  pay,  had  died  on  Sunday  night,  in 
a  house  near  by.  Seeing  the  case  from  the 
outside,  which  the  officers  within  the  building 
in  their  press  of  business  did  not  observe,  I 
stated  the  facts  to  the  proper  officers,  and  they 
immediately  made  arrangements  by  which  the 


60  THE  UNITED   STATES 

men  most  sick  were  paid  off  at  once,  and  facili 
ties  secured  for  the  future."  —  From  Mr.  Knapp's 
First  Report,  p.  8. 

The  story  of  relief  which  was  thus  produced 
will  be  found  elsewhere. 

During  the  winter  of  1861-62,  when  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  lay  in  cantonments  in 
and  around  Washington,  or  remained  compara 
tively  inactive  in  Virginia,  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission  began  its  system  of  current  supply. 
This  was  done,  either  by  means  of  the  Inspec 
tors,  who  ascertained  the  wants  of  the  sick  in 
camp  or  hospital,  and  reported  them  to  those  in 
charge  of  the  work  of  relief,  —  or  through  the 
direct  appeals  to  the  Commission  of  surgeons 
and  commanding  officers  for  such  supplies  as 
they  could  not  obtain,  or  knew  not  how  to 
obtain  from  Government.  The  office-books  of 
that  period  are  very  interesting,  and  show  a 
little  history  of  the  condition  of  each  regiment 
in  the  Army.  Parallel  with  its  work  of  Inspec 
tion,  and  of  Relief  to  troops  in  camp  or  barracks, 
the  Commission  has,  from  the  first  establishment 
of  General  Military  Hospitals  at  the  base  of  the 
various  armies,  maintained  its  supervision  over 
their  inmates,  and  has  bestowed  on  them  the 
same  inspection  of  their  condition,  and  the  same 
relief  of  their  necessities  which  it  gave  to  the 
sick  in  camp  or  post  hospitals.  It  signified  its 
sense  of  the  importance  of  this  special  work  by 
the  appointment  of  a  medical  man  as  Inspector 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  61 

of  General  Hospitals  in  the  summer  of  1861, 
soon  after  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  ;  and,  in  its 
instructions  to  General  Inspectors,  prominence 
has  always  been  given  to  these  duties. 

With  the  improvements  everywhere  progress 
ing  in  the  condition  and  management  of  Hos 
pitals,  the  need  of  inspection  has  been  growing 
less;  but  there  has  been  no  suspension  of  the 
readiness  of  the  Commission  to  bestow  the 
people's  gifts  here,  or  wherever  they  are  needed. 
Hospital  Inspectors  have  given  place  to  Hospi 
tal  Visitors,  who,  at  brief  intervals,  renew  their 
visits  to  each  hospital ;  ascertain  by  careful  in 
quiry  of  surgeons,  and  of  the  most  reliable  ward- 
masters  and  nurses  the  wants,  present  and  pro 
spective,  of  the  inmates  ;  and  give  orders  on 
the  storehouses  of  the  Commission  for  requisite 
articles  not  included  in  the  government  sup 
plies. 

The  only  important  field-work  with  the 
Armies  of  Virginia,  which  occurred  during  the 
winter  of  1861-62,  was  the  relief  sent  to  the 
wounded  after  the  battles  at  Edward's  Ferry, 
Ball's  Bluff,  and  Drainesville.  It  will  be  seen, 
therefore,  that,  though  the  work  of  the  Commis 
sion  at  this  time  was  of  the  utmost  importance, 
as  supplying  what  may  be  called  the  routine 
needs  of  the  Army  and  of  the  hospitals,  yet  no 
very  salient  point  in  its  history  occurred  until 
the  Army  advanced  to  its  first  campaign  in 
March,  1862. 


62  THE  UNITED  STATES 

In  other  fields,  however,  in  the  West  and  at 
the  South,  such  work  was  already  in  progress, 
and  an  account  of  it  will  be  found  in  its  appro 
priate  place.  The  history  of  the  field-work  with 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  will  therefore  open 
with  the  Peninsular  Campaign  of  1862. 

ARMIES  OF  VIRGINIA. -PENINSULAR  CAMPAIGN. 

The  sudden  transfer  of  the  scene  of  active 
war  from  the  high  banks  of  the  Potomac  to  a 
low  and  swampy  region,  intersected  with  a  net 
work  of  creeks  and  rivers,  early  in  the  sum 
mer  of  1862,  required  appliances  for  the  proper 
care  of  the  sick  and  wounded,  which  the  Gov 
ernment  was  not,  at  that  time,  prepared  to  fur 
nish.  Seeing  this,  and  armed  with  the  approval 
of  the  Medical  Bureau,  the  Sanitary  Commis 
sion  applied  to  the  Quartermaster- General  for 
the  use  of  some  large  steamers,  to  be  fitted  up 
as  Hospital  Transports,  for  the  reception  and 
conveyance  of  the  sick  and  wounded.  These 
steamers  had  been  lately  used  in  transporting 
troops  to  the  Peninsula,  and  were  then  lying 
idle,  at  a  cost  of  $800  or  $1000  a  day.  The 
Secretary  of  War  immediately  ordered  so  many 
of  them  as  would  carry  1000  men,  to  be  detailed 
to  the  Commission,  which,  on  its  part,  entered 
into  an  agreement  with  the  Quartermaster- Gen 
eral  to  take  charge  and  proper  care  of  at  least 
that  number  of  sick  and  wounded. 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  63 

The  first  vessel,  "  The  Daniel  Webster,"  wag 
assigned  to  the  Commission,  April  25th,  1862. 
A  hospital  company  and  stores  were  immedi 
ately  embarked,  and  she  reached  the  York 
River,  April  30th,  refitting  as  a  hospital  on 
the  voyage  down.  The  General  Secretary,  Mr. 
Olmsted,  took  charge  of  the  expedition,  and 
with  it  went  several  members  of  the  Commis 
sion.  The  hospital  company  was  composed 
of  surgeons,  dressers,  and  nurses, —  some  of  the 
latter  being  women.  The  ship  was  at  once  re 
ported  ready  for  duty ;  her  stores,  of  which  she 
brought  a  large  quantity  over  and  above  her 
own  needs,  were  placed  in  a  storehouse  ashore, 
—  additional  supplies  coming  down  in  store- 
boats,  —  and  the  work  of  supplying  the  sick  in 
camp  and  hospital  at  once  began.  Meantime 
(May  1st)  patients  were  received  on  board  the 
"  Webster,"  —  fed,  cleaned,  and  put  to  bed,  in  a 
droll  state  of  grateful  wonder. 

"  The  Daniel  Webster  "  was  no  sooner  started 
on  her  voyage  to  New  York  than  the  work  of 
all  was  concentrated  on  "  The  Ocean  Queen," 
a  magnificent  vessel,  capable  of  carrying  one 
thousand  sick,  which  the  Quartermaster  then  de 
tailed  to  the  Commission.  Of  course  she  came 
into  their  hands  naked,  as  it  were,  for  their  pur 
pose, —  not  a  bunk  nor  an  article  of  food  on  board 
of  her.  But  the  anxiety  of  the  surgeons  ashore 
(a  species  of  anxiety  which  the  Commission,  on 
serious  grounds,  had  forever  to  contend  with) 


64  THE  UNITED  STATES 

pressed  the  sick  and  wounded  on  board ;  and 
tugs  and  lighters  came  off  with  their  freights  of 
misery  to  be  thrown  upon  the  "  Queen."  All 
hands  went  to  work  ;  the  supply-boat  found  her 
corner  along-side,  and,  as  the  poor  fellows  tot 
tered  on  board  the  empty  ship  at  one  gangway, 
the  stores  were  hastily  brought  in  upon  the 
other.  Some  of  the  party  went  ashore,  shot  a 
rebel  cow  at  pasture,  and  brought  off  the  beef. 
The  women,  meantime,  had  hunted  out  a  bar 
rel  of  Indian  meal,  forgotten  and  left  behind  in 
some  dark  corner  of  the  big  ship,  and  were 
already  ladling  out  from  the  ship's  buckets  hot 
gruel  which  they  had  made  of  it. 

It  was  a  hard  first  experience,  and  how  it  was 
got  through  with,  none  of  the  party  could  ever 
tell ;  but  they  all  had  one  definite  idea :  — 
namely,  that  every  man  had  had  a  good  place  to 
sleep  in,  and  something  hot  to  eat,  and  that  the 
very  sick  had  had  every  essential  that  could  have 
been  given  them  in  their  own  homes. 

The  last  work  of  somebody  was  to  capture 
two  draught-oxen,  left  behind  by  Franklin's 
division,  (fresh  beef  was  a  great  essential,) 
meantime  the  vessel  filled  up  to  900,  mostly 
typhoid ;  and  then,  to  prevent  more  from  being 
forced  on  board,  she  was  got  under-weigh  and 
went  out  to  sea. 

Meantime  Yorktown  was  evacuated ;  the 
battle  of  Williamsburg  had  been  fought ;  the 
Army  was  thrown  forward  in  rapid  pursuit,  and 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  65 

the  hospital  party,  having  sent  off  the  "  Ocean 
Queen,"  started  in  a  little  boat  called  "  The 
Wilson  Small "  for  West  Point,  where  a  battle 
was  reported  to  be  in  progress, —  accompanied 
by  the  supply-boat  "  The  Elizabeth,"  com 
monly  called  "  The  Fiend,"  from  her  habit  of 
rushing  up,  shrieking  and  howling  at  all  hours 
of  the  night,  much  to  the  disgust  of  the  poor, 
tired  hospital  company,  who  had  to  wake  up 
fully  to  the  idea  that  she  was  going  off  on  some 
nocturnal  errand  of  mercy,  before  they  could  be 
comforted. 

On  this  little  boat  —  "  The  Wilson  Small "  — 
the  Commission  received  almost  its  first  wounded 
men.  They  consisted  of  picked  cases  of  special 
danger,  —  several  being  amputations  of  a  bad 
character.  One  of  these  seemed  dying  as  he 
came  on  board;  but  the  next  morning,  at  sun 
rise,  he  opened  his  eyes,  and,  looking  up  at  his 
nurse,  said,  "  You  have  saved  my  life  for  my 
wife."  These  men  were  kept  on  board  "  The 
Small  "  until  they  could  be  safely  transferred  to 
a  proper  boat,  which  had  to  be  found  and  fitted 
up.  Meantime  they  were  in  the  care  of  Dr. 
Robert  Ware,  and  nursed  by  a  company  of  men 
and  women. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  here  to  speak  of  the  ser 
vices  of  individuals,  nor  to  give  praise  of  that 
small  kind ;  but  a  record  of  this  work  would  be 
incomplete  if  it  made  no  mention  of  the  con 
duct  of  the  young  men  who  were  employed 


66  THE   UNITED   STATES 

upon  it.  They  were  of  all  classes  and  all  char 
acters ;  chiefly  students  of  medicine.  They  had 
but  one  spirit  and  one  purpose,  and  they  gave 
themselves  gayly,  without  a  sense  of  fatigue,  dis 
comfort,  or  reluctance,  to  any  work  which  was 
assigned  to  them  ;  their  conduct  will  never  be 
forgotten  by  those  who  saw  it. 

Dr.  Robert  Ware,  an  Inspector  of  the  Com 
mission,  and  long  employed  in  its  service,  had 
joined  the  expedition  as  it  passed  Fortress  Mon 
roe,  the  point  where  he  was  stationed.  This 
narrative,  as  it  goes  on,  will  show  him  to  the 
reader,  and  if  there  be  in  it  any  truth  or  interest, 
it  is  dedicated  to  his  memory. 

At  West  Point  the  hospital  company  broke 
up  for  a  time  into  parties  of  two  and  three, 
going  upon  the  different  boats  crowded  with 
wounded,  which  passed  down  the  river  and 
discharged  their  freight  into  the  hospitals  at 
Fortress  Monroe.  These  boats,  pressed  into  the 
service  by  the  medical  officers  on  the  emer 
gency  of  the  moment,  were  bare  of  everything 
for  hospital  purposes  ;  and  if  it  had  not  been  for 
the  Commission  stores,  and  the  Commission 
people,  hastily  thrown  on  board  of  them  as  they 
passed,  the  men  would  have  been  scarcely  better 
off  than  on  the  battle-field. 

Meantime  the  Commission  people,  at  York- 
town,  were  taking  possession  of  "  The  Elm 
City  "  and  «  The  Knickerbocker,"  North  River 
steamers,  made  over  to  them  by  the  Quarter- 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  67 

master.  Both  were  splendid  surgical  boats, 
especially  "  The  Knickerbocker,"  with  her  great 
main-deck  running  clear  from  stern  to  waist, 
giving  an  amount  of  "  floor-room  "  appreciated 
by  any  one  in  the  service.  "  The  Small "  re 
turned  to  Yorktown  with  her  freight  of  wounded, 
to  meet  the  steamship  "  Daniel  Webster,"  ar 
riving  from  her  first  trip,  and  bringing  the  intel 
ligence  that  "  The  Ocean  Queen  "  had  reached 
New  York,  but  was  withdrawn  for  the  transpor 
tation  of  troops  to  the  Gulf,  and  that  "  The 
S.  R.  Spaulding "  could  be  taken  in  her  place. 
This  was  rather  hard,  especially  as  "  The  Spauld 
ing  "  was  entirely  unfitted  for  the  purposes  of  a 
hospital  ship.  One  of  the  great  difficulties  of 
the  Commission  throughout  was,  that  the  Gov 
ernment  did  not  consider  the  boats  detailed  to 
it  as  made  over  for  the  time  for  its  especial  pur 
pose.  Signal  instances  occurred  where  immense 
labor,  and  even  expense,  were  brought  upon  the 
Commission  by  this  difficulty. 

"  The  Daniel  Webster,"  freighted  with  typhoid, 
left  again  the  day  after  her  arrival,  and  then 
came  a  little  breathing-space.  The  surgical 
cases  which  had  been  a  week  on  "  The  Small " 
were  carefully  removed  to  "  The  Elm  City," 
which  lay  in  the  stream,  and  was  being  fed  with 
sick  and  wounded  coming  off  in  lighters  from 
various  points  along  the  shore ;  —  sick  and 
wounded,  who,  dropping  from  the  army  on  its 
march,  and  getting  to  the  shores  of  the  river, 


68  THE  UNITED   STATES 

were  there  picked  up  by  little  tugs  and  brought 
down  to  the  Commission  boats.  When  "  The 
Elm  City  "  had  four  hundred  and  forty  on  board, 
she  weighed  anchor  and  left  for  Washington, 
and  the  Commission  turned  its  attention  to  the 
work  of  fitting  up  "  The  Spaulding,"  and  mak 
ing  arrangements  for  future  emergencies.  All 
this  time,  however,  the  current  work  was  going 
on ;  the  hospitals  at  Yorktown  were  examined 
and  supplied  with  stores  ;  the  hospital  trans 
ports  "  Vanderbilt,"  "  Louisiana,"  and  "  State 
of  Maine,"  (not  directly  in  charge  of  the  Com 
mission,)  were  fitted  out  with  supplies  ;  whilst 
the  work  of  receiving  and  collecting  straggling 
parties  of  wounded  men,  as  they  came  down 
from  the  front,  kept  those  on  board  the  boats 
unceasingly  busy.  Take,  for  instance,  the  his 
tory  of  one  day.  A  telegram  from  the  Medical 
Director  of  the  Army  at  Williamsburg  comes  to 
the  quartermaster  at  Yorktown,  demanding  a 
boat  to  be  ready  to  take  on  two  hundred  sick  and 
wounded  at  Queen's  Creek.  "  within  two  hours ; 
this,"  adds  the  telegram,  "  is  of  the  utmost 
urgency.  See  the  Sanitary  Commission."  So, 
with  great  exertions,  and  quite  a  little  history 
of  effort,  up  goes  a  small  boat  after  the  men. 
To  be  sure  they  were  not  to  be  found  at  the 
point  indicated  ;  the  Director  saying  that  he  did 
not  suppose  his  telegraphic  order  could  be  so 
promptly  complied  with,  and  so  he  had  as  yet 
taken  no  measures  to  send  them  down:  —  the 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  G9 

landing  was  four  miles  from  Williamsburg 
However,  they  were  obtained  at  last,  and 
brought  back  out  of  their  misery,  and  shipped 
on  board  the  large  steamer  ready  for  them  at 
Yorktown.  Meantime  another  despatch  has 
been  received  from  somewhere  else  :  "  A  hun 
dred  sick  are  left  on  the  shore  at  Bigelow's 
Landing,  in  the  rain,  to  die  without  attendance 
or  food,"  —  and  another  expedition  goes  off  at 
night,  and  brings  them  back ;  and  so  on,  and  so 
on,  through  many  such  days  and  many  such 
histories. 

Meantime  "The  Knickerbocker"  has  been 
fitted  up  and  has  gone  North.  Things  are  doing, 
on  the  whole,  pretty  well  at  Yorktown,  but  evi 
dently  the  future  work  is  to  be  nearer  the  Army, 
now  advancing  along  the  Pamunkey  River, 
close  upon  Richmond.  Mr.  Olmsted  determines 
to  go  forward  and  see  the  ground  for  himself. 
In  the  meanwhile,  however,  the  poor  little 
"  Small,"  kicked  and  cuffed  and  knocked  round 
by  all  the  big  vessels  (not  to  speak  of  "  The 
Fiend")  is  hors  de  combat,  and  can't  even  get 
up  steam.  So  the  hospital  party,  reluctantly 
leaving  for  a  time  the  dear  little  home  in  which 
they  had  lived  a  life  which  was  life  indeed,  went 
on  board  "  The  Spaulding  "  and  started  for  the 
Pamunkey. 

It  must  here  be  explained  that  the  Sanitary 
Commission  corps  naturally  divided  itself  into 
certain  fields  of  work.  One  portion  of  the  party, 


70  THE  UNITED   STATES 

composed  equally  of  men  and  women,  under 
the  guidance  of  Mr.  Olmsted,  remained  perma 
nently  at  the  scene  of  action  ;  their  work  was 
anything  that  came  to  hand,  but  chiefly  this  :  — 
to  superintend  the  shipping  of  sick  or  wounded 
on  board  the  boats  which  returned  from  the 
North  for  fresh  loads  ;  to  fit  up  those  boats,  or 
others  coming  into  the  Commission's  hands; 
to  receive  at  the  landing,  to  sort  and  to  distrib 
ute,  according  to  orders,  the  patients  who  ar 
rived  in  freight-cars  from  the  front ;  to  feed, 
cleanse,  give  medical  aid  and  nursing  to  all 
these  men,  and  otherwise  take  care  of  them, 
before  the  vessels  left  again  for  the  North  ;  and 
finally  to  be  ready  for  any  great  emergency,  and, 
when  it  came,  to  do  their  utmost  to  meet  it. 

This  was  the  work  of  the  subordinates ;  the 
work  of  the  chiefs  was  heavier  far,  and  will  be 
alluded  to  further  on.  Another  portion  of  the 
hospital  company  took  charge  of  the  vessels 
when  they  left  the  landing,  and  fulfilled  the 
great  object  of  the  Commission,  in  carrying 
their  freights  of  sick  and  wounded,  with  tender 
care,  to  the  Northern  hospitals  ;  returning  in  the 
ships,  (which  were  cleansed  and  painted  at  the 
North,)  and  refitting  them  for  the  sick  as  they 
returned.  In  this  history  more  reference  is 
necessarily  made  to  the  company  remaining  at 
the  scene  of  action  ;  but  it  must  be  remembered 
that  their  work  was  not,  in  any  degree,  more 
important  than  the  work  of  the  others,  though 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  71 

it  was  doubtless  harder  and  more  exciting.' 
Perhaps  the  story  will  be  more  graphic  if  we  let 
some  of  these  people  speak  for  themselves. 

On  the  16th  May,  1862,  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  reached  White  House,  a  point  twenty- 
five  miles  from  Richmond,  where  the  Richmond 
and  York  River  Railroad  crosses  the  Pamunkey. 
On  the  19th  it  was  on  its  way  to  the  line  of  the 
Chickahominy,  leaving  nothing  behind  it  but  a 
barren  plain,  and  its  great  "  base  of  supplies." 

"  Floating  Hospital  '  S.  R.  Spaulding,'  White 
House,  Pamunkey  River,  May  18th,  1862.  —  Yes 
terday,  after  getting  off  '  The  Knickerbocker' 
from  Yorktown,  with  three  hundred  sick  on 
board,  we  transferred  our  quarters  to  this  ves 
sel,  and  started  to  run  up  the  Pamunkey.  It 
was  audacious  in  us  to  run  this  big  ocean 
steamer  up  this  little  river,  without  a  chart  and 
without  a  pilot.  In  some  places  we  brushed 
the  trees  as  we  passed  ;  but  wre  came  safely  up, 
and  this  morning  when  we  came  on  deck,  what 
a  sight  was  there  to  greet  us!  The  glow  of  the 
morning  mist,  the  black  gunboats,  the  shining 
river,  with  the  gleam  of  the  white  sails  and  the 
tents  along  the  shore,  made  a  picture  only  to  be 
painted  by  Turner.  We  ran  up  to  the  very  head 
of  the  fleet,  —  to  the  very  head-quarters  of  the 
Army,  and  to  the  burnt  railroad-bridge,  beyond 
which  no  one  could  go.  After  breakfast  we 
went  ashore  with  Generals  — ,  — ,  — ,  and  spent 
an  hour  at  the  White  House.  , 


72  THE  UNITED  STATES 

"  We  were  going  to  Head-quarters,  but  refrained 
on  consideration,  and  came  back  to  '  The  Spauld- 
ing,'  through  army  wagons  and  pie-pedlers  (we 
met  one  man  eating  six  pies  at  once)  ;  and  re 
warded  the  three  Generals  who  had  come  ovei 
to  meet  us  with  a  few  miscellaneous  luxuries  :  — 
handkerchiefs  and  cologne  to  General  M. ;  hair 
pins  to  General  P.,  —  one  button  of  whose  cap 
was  already  screwed  on  by  that  female  imple 
ment;  linen  thread  and  buttons  to  General  F 
The  Harbor- Master  wanting  the  room  in  the 
evening,  we  dropped  down  the  stream  and  an 
chored  by  a  feathery  elm-tree." 

Meantime,  however,  "  The  Daniel  Webster," 
always  prompt  and  true,  with  her  manly  cap 
tain,  good  sailor,  and  good  man,  —  and  in 
charge  of  Dr.  Grymes  and  a  capital  hospital 
company  of  women  and  young  men, —  arrived 
May  19th,  filled  up,  and  sailed  again  on  the 
20th,  —  the  «  Elm  City"  and  «  Knickerbocker" 
arriving  empty  on  the  same  day. 

It  is  impossible  to  give,  in  a  small  compass, 
an  adequate  idea  of  the  difficulties  which  the 
Commission  had  taken  upon  itself,  and  which 
now  began  to  manifest  themselves;  —  difficulties 
seeming  small,  perhaps,  but  which  were  terrible, 
because  the  lives  of  men  frequently  hung  on 
their  being  overcome,  and  that  instantly.  Some 
of  these  difficulties  may  be  briefly  indicated, 
and  that  is  all. 

One  thing  clearly  important  was  to  gain  a  sys- 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  73 

tern  by  which  the  work  could  be  carried  on,  —  the 
current  work  disposed  of  in  such  a  way  as  that 
everything  could  be  kept  clear  for  an  emergency. 
For  this  Mr.  Olmsted  toiled;  building  unwea- 
riedly  upon  shifting  sands.  Agreements  to  this 
end  were  no  sooner  made  than  they  were  suf 
fered  to  be  transgressed  by  the  very  wants 
against  which  they  sought  to  guard.  One  of 
these  was  the  anxiety  to  "  get  off  the  sick."  It 
was  known  that  hospital  transports  were  ly 
ing  in  the  river ;  and  to  that  point  the  surgeons 
sought  to  send  down  their  sick,  which  were  c.um- 
bering  the  Army  on  its  march,  and  requiring  care 
which  it  was  not  possible  for 'them  to  give  under 
the  circumstances.  Men  who  ought  never  to 
have  gone  North  —  who  could  have  got  well  in 
ten  days,  with  care,  in  a  good  hospital  at  White 
House  —  were  rushed  upon  the  Commission.  In 
vain  did  Mr.  Olmsted  protest,  on  every  ground, 
national  and  expedient.  In  vain  did  he  form 
plans,  and  make  agreements,  and  ask  persist 
ently  for  the  tents  for  a  shore-hospital ;  striving 
to  keep  his  boats  for  the  essential  work.  At  first 
his  efforts  seemed  in  vain.  Some  of  his  assist 
ants  themselves  hardly  understood  them  ;  —  but 
after  a  while  it  was  seen  that,  slowly,  things 
were  getting  shaped  according  to  his  moulding, 
and  the  time  came  when  the  wisdom  of  it  was 
acknowledged.  The  only  thing  regretted  was 
that  the  means  to  carry  out  his  system  were 
not  greater. 


74  THE  UNITED  STATES 

Among  the  minor  difficulties  maybe  counted 
1st.  The  conflicts  of  authority  upon  the  ships 
hired  by  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  the 
masters  of  which  growled  at  going  into  hospital 
service,  and,  as  the  Commission's  position  was 
somewhat  that  of  sufferance,  they  had  to  be  for 
ever  coaxed  and  conciliated.  2d.  The  amount 
of  work  given  by  sudden  orders  to  return  such 
or  such  a  boat  at  once  to  the  Quartermaster's 
Department  for  special  service.  On  one  occa 
sion,  "The  Spaulding"  and  "The  Elm  City" 
were  lying  together  at  White  House ;  "  The 
Elm  City  "  was  being  used  as  a  receiving  ship, 
and  was  two  thirds -full ;  "  The  Spaulding"  was 
shipping  men  from  the  shore,  and  from  "  The 
Elm  City,"  intending  to  sail  the  next  day.  One 
hundred  of  these  were  very  sick  men.  A  tel 
egraphic  order  is  suddenly  received  to  take 
"  The  Spaulding"  from  the  Commission,  and 
send  her  to  Fortress  Monroe  on  transport  duty. 
The  work  is  arrested;  an  explanation  and  en 
treaty  sent :  —  "  The  men  are  very  sick  ;  shall 
the  work  go  on,  or  must  we  stop  it  ? "  The 
answer  comes,  "  Go  on."  So  it  recommences. 
An  hour  later,  the  Assistant  Quartermaster 
comes  on  board :  "  I  have  received  orders  to 
have  '  The  Elm  City '  and  every  other  avail 
able  vessel  ready  at  break  of  day,  for  special 
transport  service."  A  long  and  hard  day's  work 
had  just  been  got  through  with  when  this  order 
came,  but  there  was  no  help  for  it.  So  all  hands 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  75 

went  to  work  again.  The  sick  were  transferred 
to  "  The  Spaulding  "  ;  some  of  them  very  sick. 
Two  died  during  the  night.  Then  all  the  storeg 
had  to  be  transshipped,  and  the  vessel  cleared 
and  coaled.  It  was  a  pitch-dark  night,  but  be 
fore  daybreak  the  vessel  was  ready,  and  —  it 
was  all  for  nothing.  A  change  in  the  plans  of 
Government  occurred.  She  was  again  assigned 
to  the  Commission,  and  so,  after  a  hard  day's 
work  and  a  hard  night's  work,  the  next  day  was 
spent  in  replacing  her  just  as  she  was  before. 

Another  heavy  labor  and  responsibility  was 
that  of  attending  to  the  stores  ;  that  is,  to  the 
supply  of  the  thousand  applicants  coming  cease 
lessly  for  help  from  the  regiments  and  field  hos 
pitals  at  the  front ;  —  in  short,  the  Commissariat 
of  the  Commission.  This  was  in  charge  of 
Mr.  Knapp,  —  then  Special  Relief  Agent,  now 
Associate  Secretary  of  the  Commission.  The 
unwearied  labor  of  heart  and  body  which  he 
gave  to  it  was  too  great  for  the  frame  or  mind 
of  any  man  to  bear  ;  and  before  the  work 
ceased  he  was  in  the  treadmill  of  typhoid  de 
lirium. 

The  difficulty  of  bringing  the  work,  as  it  ivas, 
before  the  reader's  mind,  is  really  very  great. 
Scenes  jostle  each  other  in  the  memory  until  it 
is  very  hard  to  be  definite.  Day  and  night  had 
not  at  times  their  proper  meaning ;  and  every 
hour  was  crowded  by  something  vivid  which 
broke  in  upon  the  last  thing  on  hand.  Here  is 


76  THE  UNITED   STATES 

a  little  picture  which  will  serve  to  illustrate  part 
of  the  life  :  — 

"  The  last  hundred  patients  were  brought  on 
board "  (imagine  any  of  the  ships,  it  does  not 
matter  which)  "  late  last  night.  Though  these 
night-scenes  are  part  of  our  daily  living,  a  fresh 
eye  would  find  them  dramatic.  We  are  awak 
ened  in  the  dead  of  night  by  a  sharp  steam- 
whistle,  and  soon  after  feel  ourselves  clawed  by 
little  tugs  on  either  side  of  our  big  ship,  bringing 
off  the  sick  and  wounded  from  the  shore.  And, 
at  once,  the  process  of  taking  on  hundreds  of 
men  —  many  of  them  crazed  with  fever  — 
begins.  There  is  the  bringing  of  the  stretchers 
up  the  side-ladder  between  the  two  boats  ; 
the  stopping  at  the  head  of  it,  where  the  names 
and  home  addresses  of  all  who  can  speak  are 
written  down,  and  their  knapsacks  and  little 
treasures  numbered  and  stacked ;  then  the 
placing  of  the  stretchers  on  the  platform  ;  the 
row  of  anxious  faces  above  and  below  deck;  the 
lantern  held  over  the  hold  ;  the  word  given  to 
'Lower';  the  slow-moving  ropes  and  pulleys; 
the  arrival  at  the  bottom  ;  the  turning  down  of 
the  anxious  faces  ;  the  lifting  out  of  the  sick 
man,  and  the  lifting  him  into  his  bed ;  and 
then  the  sudden  change  from  cold,  hunger,  and 
friendlessness,  into  positive  comfort  and  satis 
faction,  winding*  up  with  his  invariable  verdict, 
if  he  can  speak,  —  '  This  is  just  like  home ! ' ; 

"  We    have   put   <  The   Elm   City '    in   order, 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  77 

and  she  began  to  fill  up  last  night.  I  wish  you 
could  hear  the  men  after  they  are  put  into  bed 
Those  who  can  speak,  speak  with  a  will ;  the 
others  grunt,  or  murmur  their  satisfaction. 
<  Well,  this  bed  is  most  too  soft ;  I  don't  know 
as  I  shall  sleep,  for  thinking  of  it.'  '  What 
have  you  got  there  ? '  '  That  is  bread ;  wait 
till  I  put  butter  on  it.'  '  Butter,  on  soft  bread  ! ' 
he  slowly  ejaculates,  as  if  not  sure  that  he  is  n't 
Aladdin  with  a  genie  at  work  upon  him.  In 
stances  of  such  high  unselfishness  happen  daily, 
that,  though  I  forget  them  daily,  I  feel  myself 
strengthened  in  my  trust  in  human  nature,  with 
out  making  any  reflections  about  it.  Last  night, 
a  man  comfortably  put  to  bed  in  a  middle  berth 
(there  were  three  tiers,  and  the  middle  one  in 
comparably  the  best)  seeing  me  point  to  the 
upper  berth  as  the  place  to  put  the  man  on  an 
approaching  stretcher,  cried  out :  '  Stop  !  put  me 
up  there.  Guess  I  can  stand  h'isting  better  'n 
him.9  It  was  agony  to  both. 

"  I  have  a  long  history  to  tell  you,  one  of 
these  days,  of  the  gratefulness  of  the  men.  I 
often  wish,  —  as  I  give  a  comfort  to  some  poor 
fellow,  and  see  the  sense  of  rest  it  gives  him, 
and  hear  the  favorite  speech  :  '  O,  that 's  good 
it's  just  as  if  mother  was  here,'  —  that  the  man 
or  woman  who  supplied  that  comfort  were  by 
to  see  how  blessed  it  is.  Believe  me,  you  may 
all  give  and  work  in  the  earnest  hope  that  you 
alleviate  suffering,  but  none  of  you  realize  what 


73  THE  UNITED   STATES 

you  do  ;  perhaps  you  can't  conceive  of  it,  unless 
you  could  see  your  gifts  in  use 

"  We  are  now  on  board  '  The  Knickerbocker,' 
unpacking  and  arranging  stores,  and  getting 
pantries  and  closets  in  order.  I  am  writing  on 
the  floor,  interrupted  constantly  to  join  in  a 

laugh.  Miss is  sorting  socks,  and  pulling 

out  the  funny  little  balls  of  yarn,  and  big  darn 
ing-needles  stuck  in  the  toes,  with  which  she  is 
making  a  fringe  across  my  back.  Do  spare  us 
the  darning-needles  !  Reflect  upon  us,  rushing 
in  haste  to  the  linen  closet,  and  plunging  our 
hands  into  the  bale  of  stockings !  I  certainly 
will  make  a  collection  of  sanitary  clothing.  I 
solemnly  aver  that  yesterday  I  found  a  pair 
of  drawers  made  for  a  case  of  amputation  at 
the  thigh.  And  the  slippers  !  Only  fit  for  pon 
toon  bridges  !  " 

This  routine  of  fitting  up  the  ships  as  they 
arrived,  and  of  receiving  the  men  on  board  as 
they  came  from  the  front,  was  accompanied  by 
constant  hard  work  in  meeting  requisitions  from 
regiments,  with  ceaseless  battlings  for  transpor 
tation  to  get  supplies  to  the  front  for  camps  and 
hospitals ;  and  was  diversified  by  short  excur 
sions,  which  we  will  call  "  special  relief"  ;  such, 
for  instance,  as  the  following  :  — 

"  At  midnight  two  steamers  came  along-side 
'  The  Elm  City,'  each  with  a  hundred  sick, 
bringing  word  that  <  The  Daniel  Webster 
No.  2 '  (a  sidewheel  vessel,  not  a  Commission 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  79 

boat)  was  aground  at  a  little  distance,  with  two 
hundred  more,  having  no  one  in  charge  of  them, 
and  nothing  to  eat.  Of  course  they  had  to  be 
attended  to.  So,  amidst  the  wildest  and  most 
beautiful  storm  of  thunder  and  lightning,  four 
of  us  pulled  off  to  her  in  a  little  boat,  with  tea, 
bread,  brandy,  and  beef-essence.  (No  one  can 
tell  how  it  tries  my  nerves  to  go  toppling  round 
at  night  in  little  boats,  and  clambering  up 
ships'  sides  on  little  ladders.)  We  fed  them,  — 
the  usual  process.  —  Poor  fellows !  they  were 
so  crazy  !  —  And  then  '  The  Wissahickon  ' 
came  along-side  to  transfer  them  to  '  The  Elm 
City.'  Only  a  part  of  them  could  go  in  the  first 
load.  Dr.  Ware,  with  his  constant  thoughtful- 
ness,  made  me  go  in  her,  to  escape  returning 
in  the  small  boat.  Just  as  we  pushed  off,  the 
steam  gave  out,  and  we  drifted  end  on  to  the 
shore.  Then  a  boat  had  to  put  off  from  '  The 
Elm  City,'  with  a  line  to  tow  us  up.  All  this 
time  the  thunder  was  incessant,  the  rain  falling 
in  torrents,  whilst  every  second  the  beautiful 
crimson  lightning  flashed  the  whole  scene  open 
to  us.  Add  to  this,  that  there  were  three  men 
alarmingly  ill,  and  (thinking  to  be  but  a  minute 
in  reaching  the  other  ship)  I  had  not  even  a 
drop  of  brandy  for  them.  Do  you  wonder, 
therefore,  that  I  forgot  your  letters  ?  " 

Or,  again,  the  following  :  — 

"  Sixty  men  were  heard  of  as  lying  upon  the 
railroad  without  food,  and  no  one  to  look  after 


80  THE  UNITED   STATES 

them.  Some  of  us  got  at  once  into  the  stern- 
wheeler  '  Wissahickon,'  which  is  the  Commis 
sion's  carriage,  and,  with  provisions,  basins, 
towels,  soap,  blankets,  &c.,  went  up  to  the  rail 
road  bridge,  cooking  tea  and  spreading  bread 
and  butter  as  we  went.  A  tremendous  thunder 
storm  came  up,  in  the  midst  of  which  the  men 
were  found,  put  on  freight-cars,  and  pushed  to 
the  landing; — fed,  washed,  and  taken  on  the 
tug  to  '  The  Elm  City.'  Dr.  Ware,  in  his 
hard  working  on  shore,  had  found  fifteen  other 
sick  men  without  food  or  shelter,  —  there  being 
'  no  room  '  in  the  tent-hospital.  He  had  studied 
the  neighborhood  extensively  for  shanties ; 
found  one,  and  put  his  men  in  it  for  the  night. 
In  the  morning  we  ran  up  on  the  tug,  cooking 
breakfast  for  them  as  we  ran,  scrambling  eggs 
in  a  wash-basin  over  a  spirit-lamp:  —  and  such 
eggs!  nine  in  ten  addled!  It  must  be  under 
stood  that  wash-basins  in  the  rear  of  an  army 
are  made  of  tin" 

And  here  is  one  more  such  story  :  "  We  were 
called  to  go  on  board  '  The  Wissahickon,'  from 
thence  to  '  The  Sea-shore  '  and  run  down  in 
the  latter  to  West  Point,  to  bring  off  twenty-five 
men  said  to  be  lying  there  sick  and  destitute. 
Two  doctors  went  with  us.  After  hunting  an 
hour  for  *  The  Sea-shore  '  in  vain,  and  having 
got  as  low  as  Cumberland,  we  decided  (we  be 
ing  Mrs. and  I,  for  ths  doctors  were  new 

and  docile,  and  glad  to  leave  the  responsibility 


SANITAKY   COMMISSION.  81 

upon  us  women)  to  push  on  in  the  tug,  rather 
than  leave  the  men  another  night  on  the  ground, 
as  a  heavy  storm  of  wind  and  rain  had  been 
going  on  all  day.  The  pilot  remonstrated,  but 
the  captain  approved  ;  and,  if  the  firemen  had 
not  suddenly  let  out  the  fires,  and  detained  us 
two  hours,  we  might  have  got  our  men  on  board, 
and  returned,  comfortably,  soon  after  dark.  But 
the  delay  lost  us  the  precious  daylight.  It  was 
night  before  the  last  man  was  got  on  board. 
There  were  fifty-six  of  them,  ten  very  sick  ones. 
The  boat  had  a  little  shelter-cabin.  As  we 
were  laying  mattresses  on  the  floor,  whilst 
the  doctors  were  finding  the  men,  the  captain 
stopped  us,  refusing  to  let  us  put  typhoid  fever 
below  the  deck,  on  account  of  the  crew,  he  said, 
and  threatening  to  push  off,  at  once,  from  the 

shore. "  Mrs. and  I  looked  at  him !     I  did 

the  terrible,  and  she  the  pathetic,  —  and  he 
abandoned  the  contest.  The  return  passage 
was  rather  an  anxious  one.  The  river  is  much 
obstructed  with  sunken  ships  and  trees ;  the 
night  was  dark,  and  we  had  to  feel  our  way, 
slackening  speed  every  ten  minutes.  If  we  had 
been  alone  it  would  n't  have  mattered ;  but  to 
have  fifty  men  unable  to  move  upon  our  hands, 
was  too  heavy  a  responsibility  not  to  make  us 
anxious.  The  captain  and  pilot  said  the  boat 
was  leaking,  and  remarked  awfully  that  '  the 
water  was  six  fathoms  deep  about  there  ' ;  but 
we  saw  their  motive  and  were  not  scared.  We 


b2  THE   UNITED   STATES 

were  safe  along-side  '  The  Spaulding'  by  mid 
night;  but  Mr.  Olmsted's  tone  of  voice,  as  he 
said,  *  You  don't  know  how  glad  I  am  to  see 
you,'  showed  how  much  he  had  been  worried. 
And  yet  it  was  the  best  thing  we  could  have 
done,  for  three,  perhaps  five,  of  the  men  would 
have  been  dead  before  morning.  To-day  (Sun 
day)  they  are  living  and  likely  to  live.  Is  this 
Sunday  ?  What  days  our  Sundays  have  been ! 
I  think  of  you  all  at  rest,  and  the  sound  of 
church-bells  in  your  ears,  with  a  strange,  dis 
tant  feeling." 

This  was  the  general  state  of  things  at  the 
time  when  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks  was  fought, 
June  1,  1862.  All  the  vessels  of  the  Commis 
sion  except  "  The  Spaulding  "  —  and  she  was 
hourly  expected  —  were  on  the  spot,  and  ready. 
"  The  Elm  City "  happened  to  be  full  of  fever 
cases.  A  vague  rumor  of  a  battle  prevailed, 
soon  made  certain  by  the  sound  of  the  cannon 
ading;  and  she  left  at  once  (4  A.  M.)  to  dis 
charge  her  sick  at  Yorktown,  and  performed  the 
great  feat  of  getting  back  to  White  House, 
cleaned,  and  with  her  beds  made,  before  sunset 
of  the  same  day.  By  that  time  the  wounded 
were  arriving.  The  boats  of  the  Commission 
filled  up  calmly.  The  young  men  had  a  system 
by  which  they  shipped  their  men  ;  and  there  was 
neither  hurry  nor  confusion,  as  the  vessels,  one 
by  one,  —  "  The  Elm  City,"  "  The  Knickerbock 
er,"  «  The  Daniel  Webster,"  —  filled  up  and  left 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  83 

the  landing.  After  them,  other  boats,  detailed 
by  the  Government  for  hospital  service,  came 
up.  These  boats  were  not  under  the  control  of 
the  Commission.  There  was  no  one  specially 
appointed  to  take  charge  of  them  ;  no  one  to 
receive  the  wounded  at  the  station  ;  no  one  to 
see  that  the  boats  were  supplied  with  proper 
stores.  A  frightful  scene  of  confusion  and  mis 
ery  ensued.  The  Commission  came  forward  to 
do  what  it  could ;  but  it  had  no  power,  only  the 
right  of  charity.  It  could  not  control,  scarcely 
check,  the  fearful  confusion  that  prevailed,  as 
train  after  train  came  in,  and  the  wounded  were 
brought  and  thrust  upon  the  various  boats.  But 
it  did  nobly  what  it  could.  Night  and  day  its 
members  worked :  not,  it  must  be  remembered, 
in  its  own  well-organized  service,  but  in  the  hard 
duty  of  making  the  best  of  a  bad  case.  Not 
the  smallest  preparation  was  found,  on  at  least 
three  of  the  boats,  for  the  common  food  of  the 
men ;  and,  as  for  sick-food,  stimulants,  drinks, 
there  w~as  nothing  of  the  kind  on  any  one  of  the 
boats,  and  not  a  pail  nor  a  cup  to  distribute 
food,  had  there  been  any. 

No  one,  it  is  believed,  can  tell  the  story,  as 
it  occurred,  of  the  next  three  days ;  —  no  one  can 
tell  distinctly  what  boats  they  were,  on  which 
they  lived  and  worked  through  those  days  and 
nights.  They  remember  scenes  and  sounds,  but 
they  remember  nothing  as  a  whole  ;  and,  to  this 
day,  if  they  are  feverish  and  weary,  comes  back 


84  THE  UNITED   STATES 

the  sight  of  men  in  every  condition  of  horror, 
borne,  shattered  and  shrieking,  by  thoughtless 
hands,  who  banged  the  stretchers  against  pillars 
and  posts,  dumped  them  anywhere,  and  walked 
over  the  men  without  compassion.  Imagine  an 
immense  river-steamboat  filled  on  every  deck  :  — 
every  berth,  every  square  inch  of  room,  covered 
with  wounded  men,  —  even  the  stairs  and  gang 
ways  and  guards  filled  with  those  who  were  less 
badly  wounded;  and  then  imagine  fifty  well 
men,  on  every  kind  of  errand,  hurried  and  impa 
tient,  rushing  to  and  fro,  every  touch  bringing 
agony  to  the  poor  fellows,  whilst  stretcher  after 
stretcher  comes  along,  hoping  to  find  an  empty 
place  ;  and  then  imagine  what  it  was  for  these 
people  of  the  Commission  to  keep  calm  them 
selves,  and  make  sure  that  each  man,  on  such  a 
boat  as  that,  was  properly  refreshed  and  fed. 
Sometimes  two  or  even  three  such  boats  were 
lying  side  by  side,  full  of  suffering  and  horrors. 
This  was  the  condition  of  things  with  the 
subordinates.  With  the  chiefs  it  was  aggra 
vated  by  a  wild  confusion  of  conflicting  orders 
from  head-quarters,  and  conflicting  authority 
upon  the  ground,  until  the  wonder  is  that  any 
method  could  have  been  obtained.  But  an  ear 
nest  purpose  can  do  almost  everything,  and 
out  of  the  struggle  came  daylight  at  last.  The 
first  gleam  of  it  was  from  a  hospital  tent  and 
kitchen,  which,  by  the  goodness  and  thoughtful- 
ness  of  Capt.  (now  Col.)  Sawtelle,  Assistant 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  85 

Quartermaster,  was  pitched  for  the  Commis 
sion,  just  at  the  head  of  the  wharf,  and  near  the 
spot  where  the  men  arrived  in  the  cars.  This 
tent  (Dr.  Ware  gave  to  its  preparation  the  only 
hour  when  he  might  have  rested  through  that 
long  nightmare)  became  the  strength  and  the 
comfort  of  the  Commission  people.  As  the 
men  passed  it,  from  cars  to  boat,  they  could  be 
refreshed  and  stimulated,  and  from  it  meals 
were  sent  to  all  the  boats  at  the  landing.  Dur 
ing  that  dreadful  battle-week,  3000  men  were 
fed  from  that  tent.  It  was  not  the  Vale  of 
Cashmere,  but  many  dear  associations  cluster 
round  it. 

After  the  pressure  was  over,  the  Commission 
went  back  to  its  old  routine,  but  upon  a  new 
principle.  A  member  of  the  Commission  came 
down  to  White  House  for  a  day  or  two,  and 
afterward  wrote  a  few  words  about  that  work. 
As  he  saw  it  with  a  fresh  eye,  his  letter  will 
be  given  here.  He  says:  — 

"  I  wish  you  could  have  been  with  me  at 
White  House  during  my  late  visit,  to  see  how 
much  is  being  done  by  our  agents  there  to  alle 
viate  the  sufferings  of  the  sick  and  wounded 
soldiers.  I  have  seen  a  good  deal  of  suffering 
among  our  Volunteers,  and  observed  the  marvel 
lous  variety  and  energy  of  the  beneficence  be 
stowed  by  the  patriotic  and  philanthropic  in 
camp,  in  hospital,  and  on  transports  for  the  sick  ; 
but  nothing  has  ever  impressed  me  so  deeply 


86  THE  UNITED  STATES 

as  this.  Perhaps  I  can  better  illustrate  my 
meaning  by  sketching  a  few  of  the  daily  labors 
of  the  agents  of  the  Commission  as  I  saw  them. 
The  sick  and  wounded  were  usually  sent  down 
from  the  front  by  rail,  a  distance  of  about  twenty 
miles,  over  a  rough  road,  and  in  the  common 
freight  -  cars.  A  train  generally  arrived  at 
White  House  at  9  p.  M.,  and  another  at  2 
A.  M.  In  order  to  prepare  for  the  reception  of 
the  sick  and  wounded,  Mr.  Olmsted,  with  Drs. 
Jenkins  and  Ware,  had  pitched,  by  the  side  of 
the  railway,  at  White  House,  a  large  number 
of  tents,  to  shelter  and  feed  the  convalescent. 
These  tents  were  their  only  shelter  while  wait 
ing  to  be  shipped.  Among  them  was  one  used 
as  a  kitchen  and  workroom,  or  pantry,  by  the 
ladies  in  our  service,  who  prepared  beef-tea, 
milk-punch,  and  other  food  and  comforts,  in 
anticipation  of  the  arrival  of  the  trains.  By 
the  terminus  of  the  railway  the  large  Com 
mission  steamboat  '  Knickerbocker '  lay  in  the 
Pamunkey.  in  readiness  for  the  reception  of  450 
patients,  provided  with  comfortable  beds  and  a 
corps  of  devoted  surgeons,  dressers,  nurses,  and 
litter-bearers.  Just  outside  of  this  vessel  lay  '  The 
Elizabeth,'  a  steam-barge,  loaded  with  the  hospi 
tal  stores  of  the  Commission,  and  in  charge  of 
a  storekeeper,  always  ready  to  issue  supplies. 
Outside  of  this  again  lay '  The  Wilson  Small,'  the 
head-quarters  of  our  Commission.  As  soon  as 
a  train  arrived,  the  moderately  sick  were  selected 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  87 

and  placed  in  the  tents  near  the  railroad  and 
fed ;  those  more  ill  were  carried  to  the  upper  sa 
loon  of '  The  Knickerbocker,'  while  the  seriously 
ill,  or  badly  wounded,  were  placed  in  the  lower 
saloon,  and  immediately  served  by  the  surgeons 
and  dressers.  During  the  three  nights  that  I 
observed  the  working  of  the  system,  about  700 
sick  and  wounded  were  provided  with  quarters 
and  ministered  to  in  all  their  wants  with  a  ten 
der  solicitude  and  skill  that  excited  my  deepest 
admiration.  To  see  Drs.  Ware  and  Jenkins,  lan 
tern  in  hand,  passing  through  the  trains,  selecting 
the  sick  with  reference  to  their  necessities,  and  the 
ladies  following  to  assuage  the  thirst,  or  arouse, 
by  judiciously  administered  stimulants,  the  fail 
ing  strength  of  the  brave  and  uncomplaining 
sufferers,  was  a  spectacle  of  the  most  touching 
character.  If  you  had  experienced  the  debili 
tating  influence  of  the  Parriunkey  climate,  you 
would  be  filled  with  wonder  at  the  mere  physi 
cal  endurance  of  our  corps,  who  certainly  could 
not  have  been  sustained  in  the  performance  of 
duties,  involving  labor  by  day  and  through  sleep 
less  nights,  without  a  strong  sense  of  their  use 
fulness  and  success. 

"  At  Savage's  Station,  too,  the  Commission 
had  a  valuable  depot,  where  comfort  and  as 
sistance  was  dispensed  to  the  sick  when  chang 
ing  from  the  ambulances  to  the  cars.  I  wish  I 
could  do  justice  to  the  subject  of  my  hasty  nar 
rative,  or  in  any  due  measure  convey  to  your 


88  THE   UNITED   STATES 

mind  the  impressions  left  on  mine  in  observing, 
even  casually,  the  operations  in  the  care  of  the 
sick  at  these  two  points. 

"  When  we  remember  what  was  done  by  the 
same  noble  band  of  laborers  after  the  battles  of 
Williamsburg  and  Fair  Oaks,  in  ministering 
to  the  wants  of  thousands  of  wounded,  I  am 
sure  that  we  shall  join  with  them  in  gratitude 
and  thankfulness  that  they  were  enabled  to  be 
there." 

But  the  end  of  it  all  was  at  hand;  the 
"  chancre  of  base."  of  which  the  Commission  had 

O  ' 

some  private  intelligence,  came  to  pass.  The 
sick  and  wounded  were  carefully  gathered  up 
from  the  tents  and  hospitals,  and  sent  slowly 
away  down  the  winding  river  —  "The  Wilson 
Small"  lingering  as  long  as  possible,  till  the  tele 
graph  wires  had  been  cut,  and  the  enemy  was 
announced,  by  mounted  messengers,  to  be  at 
"  Tunstall's  "  ;  in  fact,  till  the  roar  of  the  battle 
came  nearer,  and  we  knew  that  Stoneman  with 
his  cavalry  was  falling  back  to  Williamsburg, 
and  that  the  enemy  were  about  to  march  into 
our  deserted  places. 

"All  night  we  sat  on  the  deck  of  The  Small' 
slowly  moving  away,  watching  the  constantly 
increasing  cloud  and  the  fire-flashes  over  the 
trees  toward  the  White  House ;  watching  the 
fading  out  of  what  had  been  to  us,  through 
these  strange  wreeks,  a  sort  of  home,  where  we 
had  all  worked  together  and  been  happy  ;  a  place 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  89 

which  is  sacred  to  some  of  us  now  for  its  in 
tense  living  remembrances,  and  for  the  hallowing 
of  them  all  by  the  memory  of  one  who,  through 
months  of  death  and  darkness,  lived  and  worked 
in  self-abnegation;  lived  in  and  for  the  suffering 
of  others,  and  finally  gave  himself  a  sacrifice  for 
them."  * 

"  We  are  coaling  here  to-night  ('  Wilson 
Small,'  off  Norfolk,  June  30th,  1862).  We 
left  White  House  Saturday  night,  and  rendez 
voused  at  West  Point.  Captain  Sawtelle  sent 
us  off  early,  with  despatches  for  Fortress  Mon 
roe ;  this  gave  us  the  special  fun  of  being  the 
first  to  come  leisurely  into  the  panic  then  raging 
at  Yorktown.  '  The  Small '  was  instantly  sur 
rounded  by  terror-stricken  boats  ;  the  people 
of  the  big  '  St.  Mark '  leaned,  pale,  over  their 
bulwarks,  to  question  us.  Nothing  could  be 
more  delightful  than  to  be  as  calm  and  mono 
syllabic  as  we  were We  leave  at  day- 

*  ROBERT  WARE, 

WHO      DIED      AT     WASHINGTON,     N.      CAROLINA,     DURING 

THE      SIEGE,      OF      DOUBLE-PNEUMONIA      BROUGHT 

ON       BY      EXPOSURE       AND      TOO      GREAT 

DEVOTION     IN     THE     SERVICE     OF 

THE    44    REGT.    MASS.    VOLS., 

OF    WHICH    HE    AVAS 

THE    SURGEON. 

GREATER      LOVE      HATH     NO       MAN      THAN 

THIS,    THAT     A      MAN      LAY      DOWN 

HIS    LIFE    FOR    HIS    FRIENDS. 


90  THE  UNITED  STATES 

break  for  Harrison's  Bar,  Jarnes  River,  where  our 
gunboats  are  said  to  be ;  we  hope  to  get  further 
up,  but  General  Dix  warns  us  that  it  is  not  safe. 
What  are  we  about  to  learn  ?  No  one  here  can 
tell.  .  .  .  (Harrison's  Bar,  July  2d.)  We  arrived 
here  yesterday  to  hear  the  thunder  of  the  battle,* 
and  to  find  the  army  just  approaching  this  land 
ing;  last  night  it  was  a  verdant  shore,  to-day  it 

is    a   dusty  plain l  The  Spaulding '  has 

passed  and  gone  ahead  of  us ;  her  ironsides 
can  carry  her  safely  past  the  rifle-pits  which 
line  the  shore.  No  one  can  tell  as  yet  what 
work  there  is  for  us  ;  the  wounded  have  not 
come  in."  .... 

u  Hospital  Transport  '  SpauldingJ  July  3d.  — 
Reached  Harrison's  Bar  at  11  A.  M.,  July  1st, 
and  were  ordered  to  go  up  the  James  River,  as 
far  as  Carter's  Landing.  To  do  this  we  must 
pass  the  batteries  at  City  Point.  We  were  told 
there  was  no  danger  if  we  should  carry  a  yellow 
flag;  yellow  flag  we  had  none,  so  we  trusted 
to  the  red  Sanitary  Commission,  and  prepared 
to  run  it.  '  The  Galena '  hailed  us  to  keep  be 
low,  as  we  passed  the  battery.  Shortly  after,  we 
came  up  with  *  The  Monitor,'  and  the  little  cap 
tain,  with  his  East  India  hat,  trumpet  in  hand, 
repeated  the  advice  of  '  The  Galena,'  and  added 
that,  if  he  heard  firing,  he  would  follow  us. 
Our  cannon  pointed  its  black  muzzle  at  the 
shore,  and  on  we  went.  As  we  left '  The  Moni- 
*  Malvern  Hill. 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  91 

tor,'  the  captain  came  to  me,  with  his  grim 
smile,  and  said,  '  I  '11  take  those  mattresses  you 
spoke  of.'  We  had  joked,  as  people  will,  about 
our  danger,  and  I  had  suggested  mattresses 
around  the  wheel-house,  never  thinking  that 
he  would  try  it.  But  the  captain  was  in  ear 
nest  ;  when  was  he  anything  else  ?  So  the  con 
trabands  brought  up  the  mattresses,  and  piled 
them  against  the  wheel-house,  and  the  pilot 
stood  against  the  mast,  with  a  mattress  slung  in 
the  rigging  to  protect  him.  In  an  hour  we  had 
passed  the  danger  and  reached  Carter's  Landing, 
and  there  was  the  Army,  '  all  that  was  left  of  it.' 
....  Over  all  the  bank,  on  the  lawns  of  that 
lovely  spot,  under  the  shade  of  the  large  trees 
that  fringed  the  outer  park,  lay  hundreds  of  our 
poor  boys,  brought  from  the  battle-fields  of  six 
days.  It  seemed  a  hopeless  task  even  to  feed 
them.  We  went  first  into  the  hospital,  and  gave 
them  refreshment  all  round.  One  man,  burnt 
up  with  fever,  burst  into  tears  when  I  spoke  to 
him.  I  held  his  hand  silently,  and  at  last  he 
sobbed  out,  '  You  are  so  kind,  and — I —  am  so 
weak.'  We  were  ordered  by  the  Surgeon  in 
charge  to  station  ourselves  on  the  lawn,  and 
wait  the  arrival  of  the  ambulances,  so  as  to  give 
something  (we  had  beef-tea,  soup,  brandy,  &c., 

&c.)  to  the  poor  fellows  as  they  arrived 

Late  that  night  came  peremptory  orders  from 
the  Quartermaster,  for  '  The  Spaulding'  to  drop 
down  to  Harrison's  Landing.  We  took  some 


92  THE  UNITED   STATES 

of  the  wounded  with  us ;  others  went  by  land 
or  ambulances,  and  some  — it  seems  incredible  — 
walked  the  distance.  Others  were  left  behind 
and  taken  prisoners;  for  the  enemy  reached  Car 
ter's  Landing  as  we  left  it." 

The  \vork  of  the  Commission  upon  the  hos 
pital  transports  was  about  to  close.  That  work 
had  been  undertaken  as  supplemental  to  the 
Government,  —  to  work  a  system  which  the  Gov 
ernment  had  not  at  first  been  ready  to  take  up. 
Until  the  Government  could  do  what  it  should 
do  for  its  sick  and  wounded,  the  Commission 
stood  ready  to  throw  itself  into  the  breach,  as  it 
did  during  that  dreadful  battle-week, —  as  it  does, 
more  or  less,  all  the  time.  But  if  in  this  sup 
plemental  work  it  may  chance  to  point  to  better 
things,  and  lead  the  way,  it  does  not  ask.  nor  is  it 
willing,  to  remain  in  it.  The  thing  it  asks  is, 
not  the  gift  of  power,  but  that  the  Government 
should  come  forward  and  take  the  work  away 
from  it  by  doing  it  thoroughly.  Let  this  be 
remembered.  When  the  work  of  gathering  up 
the  wounded  at  Harrison's  Landing  commenced, 
it  was  found  that  the  Medical  Bureau  was  at 
least  more  prepared  for  it  than  it  was  on  the 
Pamunkey ;  and,  true  to  its  proper  character, 
the  Commission  withdrew  to  its  proper  work. 
«  The  Elizabeth  "  found  her  berth  at  the  land 
ing,  and  from  that  time  till  the  evacuation  kept 
up  the  work  of  supply.*  Three  able  Inspectors, 
*  See  Appendix  G. 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  93 

Drs.  Donglas,  Steiner,  and  Crane,  remained 
with  the  Army  ;  but  the  transports  were  given 
back  into  the  hands  of  the  Government,  and 
the  campaign  of  the  hospital  party  was  over. 
Whatever  may  have  been  the  ultimate  results 
of  that  campaign,  or  its  influence  on  future 
work,  at  least  those  employed  in  it  could  look 
back  upon  the  lives  saved  to  the  country 
with  satisfaction.  We  speak  of  lives  saved 
only ;  the  amount  of  suffering-  saved  was  incal 
culable. 

But  before  it  was  all  over,  the  various  vessels 
had  made  several  trips  in  the  service  of  the 
Commission,  and  one  voyage  of  "  The  Spauld- 
ing  "  must  not  pass  unrecorded. 

"  We  were  ordered  up  to  City  Point,  under  a 
flag  of  truce,  to  receive  our  wounded  men  who 

were  prisoners  in  Richmond At  last  the 

whistle  sounded  and  the  train  came  in  sight. 
The  poor  fellows  set  up  a  weak  cheer  at  the 
sight  of  the  old  flag,  and  those  who  had  the 
strength  hobbled  and  tumbled  off  the  train 
almost  before  it  stopped.  We  took  four  hundred 
and  one  on  board.  Two  other  vessels  which 
accompanied  us  took  each  two  hundred  more. 
The  rebel  soldiers  had  been  kind  to  our  men, — 
so  they  said,  —  but  the  citizens  had  taken  pains 
to  insult  them.  One  man  burst  into  tears  as  he 
was  telling  me  of  their  misery :  '  May  God  de 
fend  me  from  such  again.'  God  took  him  to 
Himself,  poor  suffering  soul!  He  died  the  next 


94  THE  UNITED   STATES 

morning,  —  died  because  he  would  not  let  them 
take  oft'  his  arm.  *  I  was  n't  going  to  let  them 
have  it  in  Richmond  ;  I  said  I  ivould  take  it  back 
to  old  Massachusetts.'  Of  course  we  had  a 
hard  voyage  with  our  poor  fellows  in  such  a 
condition,  but,  at  least,  they  were  cleaned  and 
well  fed." 

This  closes  the  three-months  history  of  the 
Sanitary  Commission  transports,  and  of  its 
hospital  company.  If  it  has  interested  the 
reader  enough  to  make  him  desirous  to  know 
more,  he  is  informed  that  he  will  find  the  sub 
ject  expanded  in  a  series  of  letters  lately  pub 
lished,  under  the  title  of  "  Hospital  Transports,"  * 
to  which  this  narrative  is  indebted  for  some 
assistance. 

After  the  evacuation  of  Harrison's  Landing 

o 

the  steam-barge  "  Elizabeth  "  served  as  the  prin 
cipal  depot  of  the  Commission  for  the  region 
adjacent  to  Hampton  Roads;  and  most  oppor 
tunely  was  she  placed  there,  for  the  hospitals 
of  that  vicinity,  containing  over  8000  patients 
at  that  time,  were  unusually  dependent  on  the 
current  assistance  of  the  Commission.  An  In 
spector  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  work  at 
that  point.  Norfolk  became  his  head-quarters, 
and  the  chief  depot  of  supplies  from  which, 
through  the  ensuing  year,  the  United  States 
forces  in  and  around  Yorktown,  Gloucester 
*  Messrs.  Ticknor  &  Fields,  Boston. 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  95 

Point,  Williamsburg,  Fortress  Monroe,  Ports 
mouth,  and  Suffolk,  (numbering  in  all  nearly 
50,000  men,)  received  what  supplemental  aid 
they  needed.  In  August,  1863,  thirty  thousand 
men  having  been  withdrawn  from  those  regions, 
and  the  work  no  longer  needing  an  Inspector, 
this  depot  was  left  in  charge  of  the  Relief 
Agents. 

During  the  Peninsular  campaign,  the  ceaseless 
letters  of  inquiry  from  the  friends  of  the  sick, 
the  wounded,  and  the  dead,  brought  the  Com 
mission  to  a  sense  that  it  must  endeavor  to 
meet  the  want  thus  indicated ;  *  and  thus  com 
menced  the  "Hospital  Directory,''"  of  which  an 
account  will  be  found  elsewhere. 

The  pause  of  the  operations  in  the  field 
which  followed  the  evacuation  of  Harrison's 

*  These  letters  will  never  cease  to  be  a  tender,  sad  mem 
ory  to  those  who  received  them  :  —  "I  think  you  will  know 
my  boy  ;  he  is  fair-haired,  straight,  and  slender,  with  a  fair 
skin  and  delicate  hands."  —  Poor  mother !  could  she  have 
seen  him  then  !  —  u  Tell  me  he  is  living,  and  has  done  well, 
and  I  care  for  nothing  else."  The  mother's  love  always 
seemed  more  lofty,  in  one  sense,  than  the  wife's.  "  Give 
him  back  to  me  or  I  die,"  was  the  sound  of  the  wife's  cry. 
"  Give  him  back  to  me  dead,  if  he  is  dead,  for  I  must  see 
him"  were  the  words  of  one  such  letter.  Some  one  recol 
lected  his  death,  (his  name  was  in  the  little  note-book,)  and 
that  he  had  been  buried  ashore  one  Sunday  evening.  So 
one  of  us  went  up  and  found  him  under  the  shadow  of  the 
feathery  elm-tree ;  and  a  little  sketch  was  made  of  his  quiet 
resting-place,  and  sent  to  her.  All  we  could  send,  poor 
soul ! 


96  THE  UNITED  STATES 

Landing  was  first  broken  by  Stonewall  Jack 
son's  attack  on  General  Banks  at  Cedar  Moun 
tain.  Two  Inspectors  of  the  Commission,  with 
a  Relief  Agent,  were  at  once  despatched  to  the 
scene  of  action.  The  lack  of  supplies  of  all 
kinds,  in  the  field  and  the  hospitals,  proved  to 
be  very  great.  In  one  instance,  stimulants  were 
so  imperatively  needed  that  a  surgeon  sent  for 
them  by  private  hand  to  Washington,  rather 
than  see  the  suffering  of  his  men.  At  this 
moment  the  Commission  came  in.  When  the 
Government  supplies  were  exhausted,  and  the 
people  of  the  entire  region,  stripped  of  their 
substance,  were  unable  to  give  even  the  neces 
saries  of  life  to  the  wounded  soldiers, — when 
starvation  added  its  horrors  and  fed  upon  the 
flesh  of  mangled  men,  —  the  Commission  was 
there  to  render  succor.  With  medicines,  mor 
phine,  and  chloroform,  it  saved  as  many  lives 
as  by  stimulants  and  food.  The  Commission 
Corps  fell  back  with  the  retiring  columns,  and 
finally  took  charge  of  the  trains  of  wounded 
men  sent  back  to  Washington. 

A  few  days  later,  the  Medical  Department 
found  itself  overwhelmed  by  the  demand  made 
upon  it  by  the  disasters  of  General  Pope  at  Bull 
Run.  The  lowest  estimate  of  the  killed  and 
wounded  was  8000.  General  Halleck  placed 
it  at  double  that  number.  With  an  emergency 
of  this  sort,  the  Medical  Department  was,  of 
course,  unable  to  cope ;  but  a  great  misfortune 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  97 

maimed  the  work  it  was  prepared  to  do.  Forty- 
three  wagon-loads  of  supplies  were  sent  for 
ward  by  the  Surgeon- General,  and,  relying  on 
the  representations  of  General  Pope  that  he  had 
no  intention  of  retreating,  they  took  up  a  posi 
tion  which  when  the  army  did  retreat  on  the 
following  day,  led  to  their  capture  by  the  enemy. 

When  the  news  of  the  battle  reached  Wash 
ington,  two  Inspectors  and  some  Relief  Agents, 
with  two  wagon-loads  of  supplies,  started  for  the 
battle-field,  and  reached  it  before  the  close  of  the 
action  of  the  second  day.  During  the  succeed 
ing  two  days,  sixteen  wagon-loads  arrived  safely. 
The  sufferings  of  the  wounded  after  this  battle 
have  probably  not  been  equalled,  at  least  not 
exceeded,  during  this  war. 

The  Inspectors  of  the  Commission  assisted 
for  a  time  in  dressing  the  wounds,  —  the  force 
of  surgeons  being  greatly  overworked,  —  and 
then  followed  a  flag  of  truce  which  entered 
the  enemy's  lines  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
those  of  our  wounded  (and  that  the  chief  body 
of  them)  who  had  remained  on  the  battle-fields 
of  the  previous  days.  Many  of  them  had  been 
lying  forty-eight  hours  on  the  field,  and  had  as 
yet  received  no  assistance.  The  sights  of  that 
field  of  carnage  must  not  be  told.  Here,  in  the 
rear  of  it,  were  little  groups,  under  a  tree,  or  in 
slight  depressions  of  the  ground ;  these  were  the 
wounded,  who  had  crawled  or  been  borne  to 
this  scanty  shelter.  In  one  such  group,  there 

7 


98  THE  UNITED   STATES 

was  no  one  still  living ;  in  another,  a  single 
poor  fellow,  with  his  head  pillowed  on  a  rock, 
looked  around  him  on  the  bodies  of  four  or  five 
comrades,  whom  he  had  seen  die  off  beside  him. 
A  little  on  one  side  of  the  field  were  a  number 
of  the  living,  gathered  on  the  edge  of  a  grove, 
most  of  whom  had  their  canteens  filled  with 
water  by  their  foes,  who  had  killed  an  ox  and 
a  sheep  for  them,  and  had  given  them  a  portion 
of  their  own  scanty  supply  of  bread. 

On  the  third,  day,  the  wounded  were  released 
on  parole,  and  were  slowly  gathered  into  the 
hospitals  at  Centreville,  guided  and  aided  on 
their  way  by  the  Sanitary  Commission.  Here 
its  agents  gave  out  a  constant  supply  of  hot 
beef-tea,  soup,  brandy  and  water,  and  biscuit, 
to  the  exhausted  inmates  of  the  ambulances 
which  poured  in  through  the  long  days  and 
longer  nights,  —  together  with  shirts,  drawers, 
and  blankets.  All  the  wounded  came  in  within 
a  week,  and  the  work  of  the  Commission  was 
ended,  except  so  far  as  its  supplies  were  needed 
in  the  hospitals. 

A  few  days  later,  the  scene  of  the  war  was 
transferred  by  the  rebels  themselves  into  Mary 
land.  General  McClellan,  recalled  to  the  com 
mand,  advanced  upon  the  invaders  ;  and  a 
jaded  army,  wearied  by  forced  marches,  dis 
heartened  by  its  loss  of  prestige,  and  broken  by 
defeat,  followed  its  noble  Leader  to  a  field  of 
victory. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  99 

Battle  of  Antietam. —  The  advance,  led  by 
Generals  Franklin,  Hooker,  and  Reno,  came  up 
with  the  enemy,  Sept.  14th,  under  General  Lee, 
drawn  up  in  line  of  battle  at  South  Mountain, 
and  won  the  day,  —  the  enemy  hastily  retreat 
ing  upon  Sharpsburg.  On  the  evening  of  the 
16th,  our  troops  again  came  up  with  the  lines 
of  the  enemy,  ranged  in  force  along  the  banks 
of  Antietam  Creek,  reinforced  by  General  Jack 
son  from  Harper's  Ferry. 

At  daylight  on  the  17th,  the  battle  of  An 
tietam  was  opened. 

Alas !  that  we  must  turn  back  at  once  to 
the  dark  side  of  war.  In  putting  together  a 
history  like  this,  the  accumulation  of  misery 
and  suffering,  the  anguish  that  each  page  and 
each  record  brings  back  to  the  mind  that  knows 
it,  is  worse,  —  yes,  it  is  worse,  than  the  pain  of 
any  experience,  however  terrible,  on  the  field. 

The  history  of  what  was  done  by  the  Sani 
tary  Commission  at  and  after  the  battle  of 
Antietam  will  be  found  abridged  in  the  fol 
lowing  letters :  — 

"  WASHINGTON,  Sept.  23. 

"  To  DR.  BELLOWS,  PRESIDENT.  —  SIR  :  — 

"  I  inclose  Dr.  Agnew's  letter.  We  have  sent 
him  since  the  Army  of  Virginia  went  to  meet 
the  invaders,  that  is,  within  ten  days,  28,763 
pieces  of  dry  goods,  shirts,  towels,  bedticks,  pil 
lows,  &c.;  30  barrels  old  linen,  bandages,  and 
lint ;  3188  pounds  of  farina ;  2620  pounds  con- 


100  THE   UNITED   STATES 

densed  milk  ;  5000  pounds  beef-stock  and  canned 
meats  ;  3000  bottles  of  wine  and  cordials,  and 
several  tons  of  lemons  and  other  fruit;  crackers, 
tea,  sugar,  rubber-cloth,  tin  cups,  and  hospital 
conveniences. 

"  We  are  sending  forward  more,  constantly. 
Four  thousand  sets  of  hospital  clothing  will 
(by  special  train  from  New  York)  get  through 
to  Frederick  to-morrow,  if  money  and  energy 
can  break  through  the  obstructions  of  this  em 
barrassed  transportation.  Your  daily  supplies 
from  New  York  reach  us  regularly. 
"  Respectfully  yours, 

"  F.  L.  OLMSTED, 

"  General  Secretary" 

*  "  I  cannot  now  give  you  a  report  of  all  our 
doings  since  last  Wednesday  night,  but  it  will 
give  you  joy  to  know  that  we  have  given  some 
aid  and  comfort  to  over  five  thousand  ivounded. 
I  left  Washington,  as  you  know,  on  Wednesday 
at  midnight.  Arriving  at  the  break  in  the  rail 
road  at  Monocacy,  Dr.  Harris  and  I  walked 
on  to  Frederick,  where  I  found  Dr.  Steiner,  our 
Inspector,  working  with  great  zeal  and  effi 
ciency.  The  demand  for  our  supplies  was  so 
pressing  that  it  was  thought  best  to  open  a 
storehouse  at  once,  and  Dr.  Steiner  procured 
one  near  the  railroad  station,  in  anticipation  of 
the  resumption  of  steam  transportation.  Fred- 
*  Dr.  Agnew's  letter. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  101 

erick  will  be  the  great  depot  for  the  wounded, 
whence  they  will  be  distributed  to  Washington 
and  Baltimore ;  and  hence  the  necessity  of  giv 
ing  Dr.  Steiner  large  supplies  of  hospital  stores. 

No  additional  medical  supplies  having 

arrived  for  Dr.  Thompson,  acting  Medical  Di 
rector  at  Middletown,  I  desired  him  to  take 
such  as  he  needed  from  the  Sanitary  Commis 
sion  wagons  as  they  came.  He  had  previously 
obtained  many  essential  articles  of  food,  &c., 
from  our  advanced  train.  I  left  him  twenty-five 
dollars,  to  be  used  in  purchasing  such  things  as 
we  had  not,  to  replenish  his  deficient  stores. 
Early  on  Friday  morning  I  went  to  Keedys- 
ville,  and  to  General  McClellan's  head-quarters; 
about  noon,  (Friday  19th,)  Dunning  arrived 
with  his  wagons ;  on  Saturday  morning,  Dr. 
Brink  and  Mr.  Peverly  arrived,  and  now  our 
stores  of  stimulants,  condensed  food,  band 
ages,  &c.,  became  abundant.  Dunning  and  I 
went  out  with  stores  of  beef-stock,  stimulants, 
and  surgical  dressings,  as  soon  as  he  arrived, 
and  visited  barns  and  farm-houses  within  a 
mile  and  a  half  of  head-quarters,  and  carried 
some  relief  to  nearly  two  thousand  wounded. 
Everywhere  we  were  asked  for  chloroform  and 
opiates,  instruments  and  bed-pans,  and  every 
thing,  in  fact,  required  for  the  wounded,  except 
the  coarser  food  furnished  by  the  Commissary, 
and  the  comforts  provided  to  the  extent  of  their 
ability  by  the  inhabitants,  who  had  been  previ 
ously  nearly  stripped  by  the  rebels. 


102  THE  UNITED   STATES 

"  It  should  be  remembered  that  so  rapid  was 
the  movement  of  the  Army  through  Washing 
ton  after  the  disaster  and  losses  of  the  Virginia 
campaign,  that  the  regimental  and  brigade 
and  division  medical  officers  could  not,  to  any 
considerable  extent,  replenish  their  exhausted 
supplies. 

"  The  medical  supplies  sent  to  meet  the  emer 
gency  on  Wednesday  did  not  begin  to  arrive  on 
the  battle-field  until  Saturday  afternoon,  and 
then  in  small  quantity,  and  entirely  inadequate. 
Many  of  the  same  supplies  are  still  here  (at 
Frederick)  awaiting  transportation,  while  the 
Commission  has  at  least  four  wagon-trains  sent 
to  the  front  that  left  Washington  subsequently 
to  Wednesday  afternoon,  in  addition  to  two 
sent  before  in  anticipation  of  the  battle.  You 
can  estimate  at  your  office  the  number  of  wag 
ons  we  have  sent  forward,  including  Hay's 
trains,  which  will  be  on  the  battle-field  this  after 
noon.  As  soon  as  Brink  and  Mitchell  and 
Parsons  arrived  on  the  battle-field,  I  sent  them 
over  radii  previously  ascertained  to  be  within 
the  circle  of  the  late  battles.  They  will  be  able 
to  state  personally  the  fields  of  their  operations, 
as  I  desired  them  to  keep  notes.  I  left  Dun- 
ning's  wagons  —  in  fact,  all  the  two-horse  wagons 
and  ambulances  of  our  train  —  constantly  going, 
and  carrying  relief  to  thousands  of  wounded. 

"  The  wounded  were  mainly  clustered  about 
barns,  occupying  the  barn-yards  and  floors  and 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  103 

stables ;  having  plenty  of  good  straw  well 
broken  by  the  power  threshing-machine.  I 
saw  fifteen  hundred  wounded  men  lying  upon 
the  straw  about  two  barns,  within  sight  of 
each  other!  Indeed,  there  is  not  a  barn,  nor 
farm-house,  nor  store,  nor  church,  nor  school- 
house,  between  Boorisborough,  Keedysville, 
and  Sharpsburg,  nor  between  the  latter  and 
Smoketown,  that  is  not  gorged  with  the  wounded 
—  rebel  and  Union.  Even  the  corn-crib,  and 
in  many  instances  the  cow-stables,  and  in  one 
place  the  mangers,  were  filled.  Several  thousand 
lie  in  the  open  air  upon  straw,  and  all  are  receiv 
ing  the  kind  services  of  the  farmers'  families 
and  the  surgeons. 

"  I  hope  I  never  shall  forget  the  evidences 
everywhere  manifested  of  the  unselfish  and 
devoted  heroism  of  our  surgeons,  regular  and 
volunteer,  in  the  care  of  both  Federal  and  rebel 
wounded.  Wherever  I  went,  I  encountered  sur 
geons  and  chaplains  who  had  given  themselves 
no  rest,  in  view  of  the  overwhelming  claims  of 
suffering  humanity.  General  McClellan's  Med 
ical  Director  had  several  times  been  over  the 
field,  and  given  personal  direction  to  the  labors 
of  the  surgeons ;  and  Dr.  Rauch,  U.  S.  A.,  and 
others  were  everywhere  actively  engaged. 

"  Having  studied  the  field  and  the  relations  of 
the  clusters  of  wounded  to  a  central  point,  I 
took  on  Saturday  a  store  at  Sharpsburg,  hiring 
it  of  a  Union  citizen  of  the  name  of  Cronise. 


104  THE   UNITED   STATES 

On  Saturday  evening,  I  brought  up  the  rnule 
teams  of  Peverly  to  Sharpsburg.  On  Sunday 
morning,  Dunning,  Mitchell,  Parsons,  and  I 
unpacked  the  boxes,  and  filled  the  shelves 
and  bins.  I  took  charge  of  the  wagons  on 
Saturday  night,  because  Dunning,  Brink,  and 
Mitchell  were  out  with  relief,  to  the  right  and 
left,  for  about  three  thousand  wounded ;  and 
Parsons  had  gone  back,  under  instructions  from 
Medical  Director  Letterrnan  and  my  approval, 
to  Birkettsville,  with  relief  to  five  hundred  and 
forty  wounded. 

"  Our  plans,  so  far,  are  working  splendidly,— 
thanks  to  the  vigor  with  which  you  at  Wash 
ington  have  crowded  forward  supplies,  and  the 
aid  given  by  Dr.  Letterman  and  his  medical 
officers.  We  have  been  ahead  of  all  sup 
plies,  and  at  least  two  days  ahead  of  those  of 
the  Medical  Bureau ;  the  latter  fact  due  to  its 
want  of  independent  transportation.  A  single 
item  will  show  the  value  of  our  supplies  ;  we 
have  given  out  over  thirty  pounds  of  chloroform 
within  three  days  after  the  battle.  The  medi 
cal  authorities  had  not  one  hundredth  part  of 
what  was  needed ;  and  in  many  places  impor 
tant  operations  were  necessarily  neglected,  and 
life  lost.  Our  chloroform  saved  at  least  fifty 
lives)  and  saved  several  hundred  from  the  pain 
of  severe  operations. 

"  The  want  of  chloroform  was  the  most  serious 
deficiency  in  the  regular  medical  supplies,  and, 


SANITARY  COMMISSION-.  105 

as  the  result,  amputations  which  should  have 
been  primary  will  now  be  secondary  or  impos 
sible,  and  the  mortality  from  secondary  amputa 
tions  is  much  greater  than  from  primary. 

"  I  venture  to  say  that  nearly  every  barn  and 
hospital  and  cluster  of  wounded,  over  the  wide 
extent  of  the  late  military  operations,  embracing 
a  circle  of  nearly  thirty  miles,  was  receiving 
most  essential  relief  from  the  Commission,  while 
the  regular  medical  stores  lay  at  Monocacy 
Bridge.  I  affirm  that  great  loss  of  life  has 
occurred,  and  will  occur,  among  the  wounded, 
as  the  direct  result  of  an  inability  on  the  part 
of  the  medical  authorities  to  furnish,  by  rapid 
and  independent  means  of  transportation,  the 
surgical  and  medical  appliances  needed  within 
the  two  days  immediately  subsequent  to  the 
battles. 

"  When  will  our  rulers  learn  wisdom  and  hu 
manity  ?  I  do  not  ask  for  the  Medical  Bureau 
means  of  transportation  entirely  independent  of 
and  above  those  of  the  quartermaster's  depart 
ment  ;  but  I  do  demand  such  conveyances  as 
shall  enable  the  medical  officers  moving  with 
an  army,  in  line  of  battle,  to  carry  forward  sur 
geons  and  such  surgical  materials  as  chloroform, 
opiates,  stimulants,  and  the  primary  dressings. 
A  few  supply-carts,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary 
medicine  wagons,  would  meet  almost  any  emer 
gency.  Let  such  carts  be  light  one-horse  wagons 
upon  springs,  so  constructed  as  to  be  easily 


106  THE  UNITED   STATES 

drawn  past  or  through  the  army  trains  that  seri 
ously  obstruct  the  approaches  to  battle-fields. 
Had  Dr.  Letterman  had  under  his  control  one 
dozen  one-horse  supply-wagons,  he  could  have 
sent  to  every  part  of  the  field  the  supplies  most 
in  demand.  If  Government  will  not  give  to  the 
Medical  Bureau  such  a  train,  I  insist  that  we 
must  do  it.  The  Commission  can  have  no 
higher  object  than  to  strengthen  the  hands  of 
our  army  surgeons,  who  tww  strive  so  hard  to 
perform  the  most  exhausting  duties  with  so  few 
appliances. 

"  We  now  need  hospital  clothing  more  than 
anything  else.  I  should  say,  Send  two  thou 
sand  shirts  and  drawers  to  Frederick,  fifteen 
hundred  to  Boonsborough,  and  four  thousand 
to  Sharpsburg.  As  to  other  supplies,  await 
telegraphic  orders.  We  have  now,  I  think,  with 
the  wagons  met  last  night,  enough  for  several 
days  of  food,  stimulants,  and  surgical  dressings. 
I  shall  never  cease  saying,  God  bless  you  for 
all  your  efforts  in  sending  forward  relief  to  the 
wounded. 

"  I  cannot  close  this  hasty  letter  without  ex 
pressing  my  sense  of  obligations  to  Dr.  Letter 
man  for  unusual  facilities,  and  to  all  the  surgeons 
with  whom  I  came  in  contact  for  their  uniform 
courtesy  and  confidence.  The  country  should 
be  proud  of  those  faithful  men,  who  labored  day 
and  night  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  the  bat 
tle,  without  hope  of  '  honorable  mention '  or  a 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  107 

'brevet'  in  this  world.  May  they  have  their 
reward  in  the  next  world,  where  the  fact  of  hav 
ing  given  a  cup  of  cold  water  to  a  suffering 
human  being  will  be  made  the  occasion  of  a 
never-fading  record  and  an  exhaustless  blessing. 
"  I  beg  to  add  that  I  saw  at  Hagerstown  and 
Sharpsburg,  and  at  the  hospitals  on  the  field  of 
Antietam  Creek,  the  most  abundant  and  grati 
fying  evidences  of  the  activity  with  which  our 
Inspectors  and  agents  were  doing  their  duty, 
and  of  the  essential  service  they  were  rendering 
the  Army." 

The  great  extent  of  country  over  which  the 
Army  now  spread  itself  required  two  stationary 
depots  of  the  Sanitary  Commission.  One  was 
already  established  at  Sharpsburg,  another  was 
placed  at  Harper's  Ferry.  The  march  of  a  great 
army,  let  it  be  remembered,  is  marked  by  the 
emptying  from  the  regiments  of  the  sick  men, 
and  the  dropping  out  of  the  feeble.  All  these 
the  Commission  assists  to  gather  up  and  succor. 
The  sick  of  one  corps  alone,  left  behind  on  its 
march  from  the  Potomac  across  the  Shenan- 
doah  into  the  Valley  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  amount 
ed  to  eighteen  hundred  men.  By  degrees,  and 
owing  to  care  in  which  the  Commission  may 
claim  to  have  assisted  largely,  one  thousand  of 
these  were  returned  to  duty: 

To  meet  sudden  emergencies,  a  depot  for  the 
Commission  was  established  at  Manassas  June- 


108  THE   UNITED   STATES 

tion,  as  soon  as  it  became  safe  to  advance  so  far 
and  from  thence,  by  army  stages,  it  reached 
Acquia  Creek  and  Fredericksburg.  During  the 
march  the  relations  of  the  Commission  to  the 
officers  of  the  Army  remained  as  intimate  and 
cordial  as  ever.  The  General  commanding  ex 
pressed  his  hearty  appreciation  of  its  success, 
and  intimated  a  desire  that  the  principal  depot 
of  its  field  supplies  should  be  stationed  near 
his  head-quarters.  But,  nevertheless,  the  reader 
will  gather  from  all  this  very  little  real  idea  of 
the  amount  of  current  work  which  the  Commis 
sion  was  doing  on  this  field  at  this  very  time. 

Battle  of  Fredericksburg.  —  The  report  of  the 
battle  of  Fredericksburg,  December  13,  reached 
Washington  the  same  night.  A  propeller  was 
chartered,  laden  with  stores,  and  with  a  special 
relief  party,  under  the  charge  of  Dr.  Douglas, 
started  for  the  front.  The  steam-barge  "  Eliza 
beth,"  with  an  efficient  crew  and  well  provided 
with  stores,  was  at  the  Acquia  Landing  when 
the  battle  commenced,  and  the  regular  corps  of 
Inspectors  and  Relief  Agents,  marching  with 
the  Army,  had  been  reinforced  by  others  from 
various  points  even  before  the  arrival  of  the  spe 
cial  relief  party.  As  soon  as  the  movement  to 
cross  the  river  was  made,  they  had  proceeded  to 
the  front  from  Acquia,  visited  the  field-hospi 
tals  on  the  Falmouth  side  of  the  river,  which 
had  been  organized  in  expectation  of  a  battle, 
and  distributed  several  wagon -loads  of  stores. 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  109 

The  special  relief  party  reached  Acquia 
Landing,  with  the  extra  supplies,  at  daybreak 
on  Monday,  and  a  large  part  of  it  immediately 
went  forward  to  Fredericksburg,  arriving  there 
in  time  to  assist  in  the  removal  of  the  wounded 
to  the  field  hospitals.  Two  wagons,  which 
had  been  brought  from  Washington,  were 
filled  and  pushed  on.  Owing  to  the  condition 
of  the  roads,  the  entanglement  of  the  wagons 
in  an  ambulance  train,  and  the  overturning  of 
one  of  them,  night  found  this  last  half  of  the 
party  still  upon  the  road.  They  were  obliged  to 
bivouac,  and  did  not  reach  the  front  till  the  next 
morning,  in  the  midst  of  a  severe  rain-storm.  It 
was  during  this  stormy  night  that  the  Army, 
with  a  small  remaining  portion  of  the  wounded, 
was  withdrawn  from  Fredericksburg. 

On  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Douglas  a  thorough  in 
spection  of  the  whole  field  was  undertaken.  The 
labor  was  divided,  and  an  especial  duty  assigned 
to  each  individual  of  the  party.  By'  noon,  all 
the  hospitals  where  the  wounded  were  congre 
gating  had  been  visited,  and  the  surgeons  in 
formed  of  the  presence  of  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission,  and  the  location  of  its  depot  of  supplies, 
from  whence,  until  the  wounded  were  all  re 
moved  to  general  hospitals,  the  issue  of  stores 
was  steady  and  unremitting. 

We  will  here  leave  Dr.  Douglas  to  tell  his 
own  story  :  — 

"  The  scene  at  our  field  station  was  a  busy 


110  THE  UNITED   STATES 

one.  Could  the  contributors  to  the  stores  and 
the  treasury  of  the  Commission  have  heard  the 
fervent  expressions  of  grateful  relief;  could  they 
have  seen  the  comfort  which  their  bounty  afford 
ed  our  brave  wounded  ;  could  they  realize  by 
actual  intercourse  with  the  wounded  the  suffer 
ing  from,  for  instance,  cold,  alleviated  by  the 
abundant  supply  of  blankets  which  their  bounty 
had  provided  ;  could  they  have  observed  the 
change  produced  when  the  soiled  and  bloody 
garments  were  replaced  by  clean  and  warm 
clothing  which  they  had  sent,  —  they  would  be 
eager  to  replenish  our  storehouses  and  keep  our 
hands  filled  with  the  means  to  accomplish  these 
purposes. 

'  "  Early  Tuesday  morning  the  rain  subsided, 
the  sun  appeared,  and  the  weather  became  clear 
and  cold.  The  wounded  were  for  the  most  part 
placed  in  hospital  tents,  upon  a  plentiful  supply 
of  hay.  Blankets  had  to  repair  the  absence  of 
stoves,  which,  by  some  singular  mistake,  had 
arrived  in  a  condition  not  to  be  used,  — 'the  neces 
sary  stove-pipe  not  being  included  in  the  ship 
ment.  The  supply  in  the  hands  of  the  Pur 
veyor  soon  became  exhausted  from  the  unusual 
demands  made  upon  him,  on  account  of  the 
severity  of  the  weather.  Fortunately  we  were 
enabled  to  supplement  his  stores,  and  to  answer 
his  calls  upon  us  from  the  reserve,  of  1800  blan 
kets  and  over  900  quilts,  which  we  had  sent 
forward.  Many  of  these  were  employed  in 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  Ill 

covering  the  wounded  during  the  period  of  their 
transportation  by  car  and  steamboat  from  the 
field  hospitals  to  the  general  hospitals  at  Wash 
ington. 

"  It  is  with  a  deep  feeling  of  gratitude  that  I 
have  also  to  report  that  the  last  sad  office  could 
be  paid  to  the  dead  with  an  approach  to  the 
ceremonies  of  civil  life,  through  the  stores 
placed  by  us  at  the  disposal  of  the  surgeons 
of  the  hospitals. 

"  The  comfort  of  the  wounded,  and  the  result 
of  the  treatment  of  their  wounds,  were  mate 
rially  affected  by  the  change  of  clothing  provided 
by  us.  We  had  been  able  to  get  up  to  our  field 
station  5642  woollen  shirts,  .4439  pairs  woollen 
drawers,  4269  pairs  socks,  and  over  2500  towels, 
among  other  articles.  These  were  liberally  dis 
tributed  wherever  the  surgeons  of  hospitals  indi 
cated  that  there  was  a  need.  Certain  articles  of 
hospital  furniture,  of  which  there  was  a  compar 
atively  greater  want  than  of  anything  else,  were 
freely  obtained  by  all  surgeons  at  our  station. 
Stimulants,  I  am  happy  to  say,  were  in  great 
abundance  among  the  Purveyor's  stores,  so  thai 
the  calls  upon  us  were  few.  The  same  was  gen 
erally  true  of  food,  and  positively  so  of  all  kinds 
of  medicinal  articles  which  at  other  battles  have 
been  furnished  by  us.  Nothing  of  the  kind  was 
asked  for.  In  the  article  of  food  alone,  we 
issued  in  one  week,  solely  to  hospitals,  sixteen 
barrels  of  dried  fruit,  ten  boxes  of  soda  biscuit, 


112  THE  UNITED  STATES 

six  barrels  of  crackers,  and  nearly  1000  pounds 
of  concentrated  milk.  The  beef-stock  we  had 
brought  up  was,  I  am  again  happy  to  say,  not 
needed,  there  being  a  bountiful  provision  among 
the  hospital  stores,  and  fresh  beef  at  command 
at  all  times,  and  in  any  quantity. 

"  As  rapidly  as  the  wounded  were  attended 
to,  and  put  in  a  condition  for  safe  transportation, 
they  were  removed  from  the  field  hospitals  to 
the  general  hospitals  in  Washington  and  Point 
.Lookout.  The  removal  was  effected  by  ambu 
lance  or  stretcher  to  the  cars,  by  car  to  the  land 
ing  at  Acquia  Creek,  and  thence  to  Washington 
by  steamboat.  The  principal  battle  occurred 
on  the  13th  December,  and  on  the  25th  the  last 
of  the  wounded  were  removed.  The  floors  of 
both  cars  and  boats  were  well  covered  with  fresh 
hay,  and  in  addition  to  this,  the  severely  wound 
ed  had  mattresses  or  bed-sacks. 

"  In  order  to  meet  whatever  demands  might 
arise  for  the  proper  sustenance  of  the  wounded 
while  on  this  trying  journey,  Mr.  Knapp,  our 
Special  Relief  Agent,  was  despatched  from 
Washington  to  Acquia  Creek,  to  provide  suit 
able  accommodations  for  furnishing  food  or 
shelter  at  that  point.  A  kitchen  was  improvised 
upon  the  Landing,  and  the  first  night  meals  were 
provided  for  600  wounded  brought  down  by  the 
cars.  Mr.  Knapp  was  cordially  assisted  in  this 
humane  work  by  several  members  of  the  Chris- 
dan  Commission  who  were  present  at  that 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  113 

place.  Through  the  cordial  cooperation  of  the 
Quartermaster  of  the  post,  Mr.  Knapp  had  a 
building  erected  adjoining  our  portable  store 
house,  which  affords  shelter  and  a  good  bed  to 
nearly  100  every  night. 

"  Our  field  operations  have  gradually  dimin 
ished  with  the  removal  of  the  wounded.  Our 
supplies  were  brought  up  from  Acquia  Creek  in 
every  case  in  charge  of  a  special  messenger. 
By  the  schedule,  it  will  be  seen  that  all  the  divis 
ion  hospitals  were  visited  and  supplies  furnished 
to  them  on  requisition.  Besides  this,  supplies 
were  also  issued  to  a  number  of  brigade  hospi 
tals,  and  to  over  fifty  regimental  hospitals,  pre 
vious  to  my  leaving  on  the  24th  December.  The 
issue  to  regimental  and  brigade  hospitals  was 
continued  by  Dr.  Andrew  after  my  departure, 
an  account  of  which  will  be  hereafter  furnished. 

"  I  cannot  close  my  report  without  referring 
with  admiration  to  the  plan  of  organization  for 
the  Medical  Corps  of  the  Army  just  introduced 
by  Dr.  Letterman,  (Medical  Director  Army  of 
the  Potomac).  The  manner  in  which  it  was 
carried  out  was  to  the  honor  of  the  Medical 
Corps,  for  the  advancement  of  science,  and  to 
the  credit  of  humanity 

"  In  most  instances  the  wounded  were  accom 
panied  to  Washington  by  their  own  surgeons. 
This  was  particularly  true  of  the  more  serious 
cases.  At  Acquia  Creek,  Dr.  Warren  Webster, 
U.  S.  A.,  had  charge  of  the  transportation,  and 


114  THE  UNITED   STATES 

everything  was  done  by  him  to  secure  the  well- 
being  of  the  wounded.  Extra  clothing  from  our 
storehouse  was  placed  at  his  disposal  to  meet 
any  deficiencies. 

"The  watchful  care,  the  cautious  solicitude 
of  the  surgeons,  and  the  general  kind  attention 
of  nurses  and  attendants,  should  not  be  passed 
without  notice.  Individual  cases  there  were, 
where,  from  constitutional  indifference  or  inherent 
slothfulness,  the  medical  officers  or  the  attendants 
were  derelict  of  duty ;  but  these  instances  were 
rare,  —  so  infrequent,  indeed,  as  not  to  affect  the 
general  opinion  that  no  battle  since  the  war 
commenced  has  found  the  medical  corps  so  fully 
prepared  for  every  emergency,  or  has  witnessed 
such  prompt,  careful,  and  judicious  performance 
of  the  necessary  operations ;  such  comparative 
immunity  from  suffering  occasioned  by  a  defi 
ciency  or  absence  of  supplies.  Too  much  credit 
cannot  be  accorded  to  Surgeon  Letter  man  for 
the  persistency  with  which  he  has  inaugurated 
and  carried  out  the  present  efficient  plan  of  field 
division  hospitals  after  a  battle. 

"  Much  has  been  said  of  the  demoralization 
of  the  Army.  I  have  seen  no  evidence  of  it. 
It  does  not  exist  in  the  constitution  of  the  men 
of'  our  climate  to  be  turned  back  from  any 
undertaking  by  one  check,  nor  to  be  disheartened 
even  by  a  series  of  obstacles.  Their  tempera 
ment  as  men  is  not  changed  by  their  discipline 
as  soldiers.  If  signs  are  to  be  believed,  the 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  115 

Army  of  the  Potomac  to-day  is,  in  firmness  of 
purpose,  in  discipline,  in  soldierly  qualities 
stronger  than  ever,  and  m.ore  determined  to 
merit  by  its  deeds  the  high  trust  and  confidence 
reposed  in  it  by  the  country." 

But  not  all  the  care  now  given  to  the  Army, 
not  all  the  appliances  now  lavished  on  it  for  its 
efficiency  and  comfort,  could  keep  it  from  the 
gloomy  influences  of  that  repulse.  We  look  in 
vain  for  something  cheerful  to  break  the  record 
of  that  winter,  and  find  only  this  :  —  "  Signs  and 
rumors  of  another  crossing.  Pontoon  move 
ments  of  great  obscurity.  Ambulance  inspec 
tions.  Ammunition  supplies."  "  Marching  or 
ders  have  come  for  8  A.  M.  to-day.  A  most 
dispirited  army  is  moving  forward,  and  drag 
ging  itself  along  over  bad  roads,  with  every 
prospect  of  a  speedy  return.  We  ride  among 
the  soldiers,  and  look  in  vain  for  any  trace  of 
hope  or  cheerfulness.  They  are  all  of  the  same 
spirit  —  sad  and  dejected."  This  was  the  dismal 
mud  march  from  which,  thank  God,  they  re 
turned  without  a  battle. 

But  the  Commission  followed  it  on  the  qui 
vive,  and  the  report  goes  on  to  say  how,  here 
and  thei'e,  its  sentinels  of  relief  were  posted. 
One  little  record  is  gracious  and  gratifying:  — 
"  A  verbal  report  made  to  Pr.  Letterman  of 
neglected  duties  in  the  ambulance  corps.  He 
issues  orders  for  inquiry  and  correction,  and  ex 
presses  his  appreciation  of  such  reports  through 
the  Sanitary  Commission." 


H6  THE  UNITED   STATES 

Meanwhile  the  current  work  went  on,  and 
every  corps,  regiment,  and  company  of  the  en 
tire  Army  was  visited,  examined,  and  aided. 

Battle  of  C/iancellorsville.  —  On  the  morning 
of  the  27th  of  April,  1863,  orders  were  issued 
that  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  should  be  in 
readiness  to  move  at  an  hour's  notice ;  and 
before  night  the  main  body  of  it  was  already 
on  its  march,  under  the  pressure  of  orders  to 
move  rapidly.  With  each  corps  went  a  repre 
sentative  of  the  Commission,  furnished  with 
sufficient  stores  for  its  current  necessities,  and 
for  the  first  demands  of  an  emergency.  These 
stores  were  replenished  from  time  to  time  with 
fresh  supplies,  sent  forward  on  mules. 

Daring  the  fatal  week  which  saw  the  battle 
of  Chancellorsville  and  the  storming  of  the 
heights  of  Fredericksburg,  over  those  heights 
and  upon  that  field  the  agents  and  stores  of  the 
Commission  were  rendering  all  the  assistance 
which  was  needed.  At  no  previous  period  of 
the  war  had  medical  and  surgical  appliances 
been  so  accessible  to  the  surgeons.  They  were 
obtained  readily,  without  perplexity  or  delay, 
and  the  work  of  the  Commission  became  there 
fore  strictly  supplemental. 

When  the  wounded  were  removed  to  the 
Falmouth  side  of  the  river,  for  temporary  lodg 
ment  in  field  hospitals  or  for  transportation  to 
corps  hospitals  scattered  between  the  Potomac 
and  Acquia  Creeks,  the  Commission  agents 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  117 

who  had  remained  at  Acquia  were  able  to  ren 
der  much  manual  assistance  ;  whilst  their  stores 
were  of  great  value,  from  the  fact  that  on  that 
side  of  the  river  no  such  large  numbers  of  the 
wounded  were  expected,  and  the  preparations  for 
them  were  not  sufficient. 

From  that  time  until  the  wounded  were  all 
brought  in,  the  toil  was  very  great ;  there  were 
many  thousands  of  them,  and  their  numbers 
were  increased  by  the  addition  of  those  who 
had  been  prisoners,  and  who  were  released  by 
the  enemy  on  parole,  eight  days  after  the  battle. 
Meantime  arrangements  were  made  to  trans 
port  the  majority  of  them  to  the  hospitals  at 
Washington ;  and  owing  to  the  wise  care  of  the 
medical  officers,  Dr.  Brinton  at  Falmouth,  and 
Dr.  Taylor  at  Acquia,  this  was  done  as  expe- 
ditiously  and  comfortably  to  the  poor  fellows 
as  the  gigantic  proportion  of  the  work  would 
allow. 

Nevertheless  there  was  much  need  of  the  as 
sistance  of  the  Commission.  At  first  the  trans 
ports  were  found  to  be  in  good  order,  and  well 
supplied  for  the  relief  and  comfort  of  the  men  ; 
but  soon  the  immense  number  of  wounded  who 
poured  in  obliged  the  medical  officers  to  take 
the  common  transports  into  their  service.  To 
supply  these  transports,  to  shelter  and  feed  the 
unhappy  sufferers  who  were  brought  down  to 
the  Landing,  and  often  compelled  to  wait  many 
hours  before  they  could  be  shipped,  became  at 


118  THE  UNITED   STATES 

once  the  recognized  work  of  the  Commission,  — 
a  work  which  had,  however,  existed,  though  in 
a  lesser  degree,  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
winter.  For,  from  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg, 
in  December,  1862,  until  the  Army  evacuated 
Falrnouth  and  Acquia  Creek  to  meet  the  sec 
ond  great  invasion  of  Maryland,  in  June,  1863, 
lodges  and  homes  had  been  maintained  by 
the  Commission  near  the  Army  at  these  points. 
These  lodges  were  on  the  system  of  those  already 
under  way  with  vast  results  in  Washington  ; 
but  their  fields  were  even  more  varied.  The 
chief  of  them  was  the  lodge  at  Acquia  Creek, 
where  the  disabled  and  discharged  soldiers  were 
sheltered  and  sent  on  their  way,  comforted,  if 
not  rejoicing;  and  where  the  very  sick  and 
wounded  were  received  whilst  waiting  for  the 
boats  at  the  Landing,  fed,  lodged,  nursed,  and 
medically  cared  for.  In  many  instances,  also, 
the  unhappy  friends  of  wounded  and  dead  or 
dying  men  were  received,  sheltered,  and  as 
sisted  in  their  inquiries. 

What  became  of  the  men  who  thus  passed 
through  this  Lodge  is  told  elsewhere,  and  noth 
ing  but  a  few  little  incidents  connected  with 
it  can  be  mentioned  here. 

Its  daily  routine  was  as  follows :  —  By  the 
evening  it  was  filled  to  overflowing  with  pale 
and  weary  soldiers,  who  arrived  too  late  to  be 
taken  in  the  boats  which  had  left  for  Washing 
ton,  many  on  stretchers,  and  some  accompanied 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  119 

by  parents  and  friends.  A  large  quantity  of 
milk-punch  was  always  on  hand,  and  a  liberal 
draught  given  to  call  up  their  flickering  strength. 
A  table  was  spread  for  the  least  suffering,  who 
were  served  with  good  hot  coffee,  biscuit,  and 
butter. 

In  the  evening  the  physician  passed  through 
and  prescribed  for  those  in  need  of  him,  and 
then  they  ;were  put  to  rest  for  the  night.  At 
eight  o'clock  next  morning  the  line  was  formed 
for  the  boat,  each  man  with  a  blue  ticket  for 
"  The  Home,"  or  a  red  ticket  for  "  The  Lodge" 
in  Washington,  and  in  many  cases  a  bottle  ot 
milk-punch  or  beef-essence,  to  keep  up  then- 
strength  on  the  way.  Out  of  a  thousand  inci 
dents  occurring,  each  of  equal  interest,  it  is  hard 
to  select  any  to  place  here.  The  following 
are  chosen  as  the  shortest  that  can  be  found. 
"  Seventy-five  men  were  reported,  at  10  A.  M.,  as 
needing  our  care,  having  been  left  at  the  rail 
road  without  shelter  or  food.  Nine  were  taken 
to  the  Lodge,  and  a  permit  was  obtained  for  the 
remainder  to  go  to  the  '  Soldiers'  Rest.'  At 
8  p.  M.  they  were  again  reported  as  having  been 
in  a  car  since  two  o'clock  without  food.  Our 
force  was  again  called  out,  and  we  supplied 
them  with  what  they  needed."  "  A  man,  shoe 
less,  shirtless,  and  stockingless,  feet  frost-bitten, 
and  mind  deranged,  was  brought  to  our  Lodge, 
as  the  only  refuge  for  the  wanderer.  We  kept 
him  nine  days,  ascertained  his  regiment,  and 


120  THE  UNITED   STATES 

returned  him  for  discharge."  "  A  soldier  picked 
up  —  typhoid  fever  —  flighty.  With  the  best 
of  care,  he  died  the  next  day."  "  At  daylight 
another  poor  fellow  fainted  on  the  wharf,  and 
fell  into  the  water.  When  rescued  he  was 
nearly  dead,  —  respiration  and  pulsation  appar 
ently  ceased.  Did  everything  possible,  —  re 
warded  by  his  recovery.  He  was  dried,  cleaned, 
and  put  into  new  warm  under-clothes.  Third 
case  of  the  kind  within  a  week." 

From  December  25th,.  1862,  to  April  1st,  1863, 
lodgings  and  food  and  succor  were  given  at 
the  Acquia  Creek  Lodge  to  over  three  thousand 
men. 

During  all  this  winter  "  The  Elizabeth  "  was 
plying  between  Washington  and  Acquia,  carry 
ing  up  requisitions,  and  returning  loaded  with 
supplies.  When  this  base  of  the  Army  was 
abandoned  in  the  following  June,  and  the  Gov 
ernment  stores  were  brought  off  or  destroyed, 
the  Commission  agents  worked  with  a  devotion 
which  the  country  ought  to  know  of,  in  bringing 
safely  off  the  country's  gifts.  They  worked  with 
out  rest  for  forty  consecutive  hours,  with  the  great 
reward  of  knowing  that  not  an  article  was  lost. 

Second  Invasion  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylva 
nia. —  The  Army  of  the  Potomac  broke  camp  on 
the  Rappahannock  June  12th,  1863,  the  effective 
troops  moving  northwards  by  forced  marches, 
and  the  sick  and  wounded  being  removed  by 
rail  to  Acquia  Creek,  and  thence  to  Washington. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  121 

A  small  part  of  the  Commission's  Potomac  Re 
lief  Corps  marched  with  the  Army.  They  were 
frequently  replenished  with  supplies  from  the 
depot  at  Washington,  and  daily  rendered  valu 
able  assistance  to  the  surgeons  having  the  care 
of  men  wounded  in  the  skirmishes  and  in  the 
cavalry  engagements,  as  well  as  of  those  falling 
ill  under  the  fatigues  and  privations  of  forced 
marches,  undertaken  in  the  heat  of  midsummer, 
in  a  dry  and  desolated  region. 

On  the  retreat  of  General  Milroy  from  Win 
chester,  it  was  found  that  the  supply  of  hospital 
stores  at  Harper's  Ferry  was  very  limited,  and 
a  relief  agent  was  sent  there  with  a  wagon-load 
of  supplies.  This  was  got  safely  through,  but 
the  wagon  on  its  return  was  captured  by  Stuart's 
cavalry.  The  Relief  Agent,  having  remained  at 
Harper's  Ferry,  escaped.  The  Commission's 
stores  at  Frederick  were  safely  concealed  dur 
ing  its  occupation  by  the  enemy,  but  so  soon  as 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  reached  the  city,  the 
depot  was  again  opened  and  the  stock  increased. 
Responsible  and  experienced  officers  of  the 
Commission  were  stationed  at  Harrisburg,  Phil 
adelphia,  Baltimore,  and  Frederick,  and  a  sys 
tematic  daily  communication  was  established 
between  them  and  the  agents  moving  with  the 
different  columns  of  the  Army.  Supplies  were 
accumulated,  and  held  ready  for  movement  at 
different  points  in  the  circumference  of  the  seat  of 
war,  and  care  was  taken  to  have  ample  reserves 
at  the  branch  offices  ready  for  shipment. 


122  THE  UNITED   STATES 

Battle  of  Gettysburg.  —  With  the  first  news 
of  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  Westminster,  the 
nearest  point  of  railroad  communication  to  the 
battle-field,  was  fixed  upon  as  the  point  of  ap 
proach,  and  authority  to  run  a  car  daily  to  that 
station  was  asked  for  and  obtained. 

Two  wagon-loads  of  battle-field  supplies  had 
been  distributed  to  meet  deficiencies  in  the  stores 
of  the  surgeons,  shortly  before  the  battle  com 
menced.  These  wagons  returned  for  more 
loads ;  two  others,  fully  loaded,  arrived  from 
Frederick  at  the  moment  of  the  assault  of 
Longstreet  upon  the  left  wing  of  the  loyal 
Army,  and  were  pushed  forward  under  fire>  to 
reach  the  collections  of  wounded  in  its  rear. 
As  one  of  them  came  up  to  a  point  where 
several  hundred  sufferers  had  been  taken  from 
the  ambulances  and  laid  upon  the  ground,  be 
hind  a  barn,  less  than  five  hundred  yards  in  the 
rear  of  our  line  of  battle  then  fiercely  engaged,  a 
surgeon  was  seen  to  throw  up  his  arms  exclaim 
ing,  "Thank  God!  here  comes  the  Sanitary 
Commission  ;  now  we  shall  be  able  to  do  some 
thing."  His  supplies  were  exhausted,  and  the 
chloroform,  lint,  bandages,  sponges,  brandy,  and 
beef-soup,  which  were  at  once  given  to  him,  were 
undoubtedly  the  means  of  saving  many  lives. 
The  empty  wagons  which  had  gone  back  to 
Frederick  were  reloaded,  and  left  again  the  same 
day.  Dr.  McDonald,  Chief  Commission  Inspect 
or  on  the  field,  conducted  one  of  them  by  Em- 
metsburg;  the  other  was  sent  by  Winchester. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  123 

The  latter  got  safely  through ;  but  the  former, 
with  Dr.  McDonald  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Scandlin 
Relief  Agent,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
These  gentlemen  were  marched  to  Richmond 
as  prisoners  of  war.*  This  misfortune,  and  the 
fact  that  Dr.  McDonald  was  charged  with  all 
the  field  arrangements,  caused  some  temporary 
embarrassment;  but  supplies  of  the  Commission 
arrived  from  other  directions  before  the  close  of 
the  battle. 

A  school-house  centrally  situated  was  taken 
as  a  depot,  and  thence  eleven  wagon-loads  of 
special  supplies  were  distributed  to  the  corps 
hospitals,  and  to  scattering  groups  of  wounded 
on  the  field,  long  before  any  supplies  arrived  by 
railroad.  As  soon  as  the  railroad  was  so  far  re 
paired  as  to  allow  a  train  to  approach  within  a 
mile  of  the  town,  two  car-loads  of  most  valuable 
goods  were  sent  to  the  Commission,  and  two 
more  by  each  succeeding  train  for  a  week. 

The  wounded  now  began  to  be  brought  from 
the  field  to  the  railroad,  for  removal  to  fixed  hos 
pitals  elsewhere.  The  Commission  at  once  es 
tablished  a  complete  Relief  Station  on  a  large 
scale,  at  the  terminus  of  the  railroad  ;  —  and  here 
shall  be  given  intact  the  story  of  "  WHAT  WE  DID 
AT  GETTYSBURG,"  written  by  the  woman  best 
fitted  for  the  work,  and  best  fitted  to  tell  of  it. 
She  is  now  in  a  far  distant  hospital,  and  it  is 
therefore  not  improper  that  this  allusion  to  her 

*  See  Appendix  H. 


124  THE  UNITED   STATES 

should  be  made.  Her  sense,  energy,  lightness 
and  quickness  of  action  ;  her  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  work,  her  amazing  yet  simple  resources, 
her  shy  humility  which  made  her  regard  her  own 
work  with  impatience,  almost  with  contempt,  — 
all  this  and  much  else  has  made  the  memory 

of  a    source    of    strength    and    tenderness 

which  nothing  can  take  away. 

"July,  1863. 
"  DEAR  : 

•  "  What  we  did  at   Gettysburg,  for  the  three 
weeks  we  were  there,  you  will  want  to  know. 

'  We,'    are    Mrs.  and   I,    who,    happening 

to  be  on  hand  at  the  right  moment,  gladly  fell 
in  with  the  proposition  to  do  what  we  could  at 
the  Sanitary  Commission  Lodge  after  the  battle. 
There  were,  of  course,  the  agents  of  the  Com 
mission,  already  on  the  field,  distributing  sup 
plies  to  the  hospitals,  and  working  night  and  day 
among  the  wounded.  I  cannot  pretend  to  tell 
you  what  was  done  by  all  the  big  wheels  of  the 
concern,  but  only  how  two  of  the  smallest  ones 
went  round,  and  what  turned  up  in  the  going. 

"  Twenty-four  hours  we  were  in  making  the 
journey  between  Baltimore  and  Gettysburg, 
places  only  four  hours  apart  in  ordinary  running 
time ;  and  this  will  give  you  some  idea  of  the 
difficulty  there  was  in  bringing  up  supplies  when 
the  fighting  was  over,  and  of  the  delays  in  trans 
porting  wounded.  Corning  toward  the  town  at 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  125 

this  crawling  rate,  we  passed  some  fields  where 
the  fences  were  down  and  the  ground  slightly 
tossed  up  :  <  That 's  where  Kilpatrick's  Cavalry 
men  fought  the  rebels,'  some  one  said  ;" '  and  close 
by  that  barn  a  rebel  soldier  was  found  day  be 
fore  yesterday,  sitting  dead'  —  no  one  to  help, 
poor  soul,  — '  near  the  whole  city  full.'  The  rail 
road  bridge  broken  up  by  the  enemy,  Govern 
ment  had  not  rebuilt  as  yet,  and  we  stopped  two 
miles  from  the  town,  to  find  that,  as  usual,  just 
where  the  Government  had  left  off  the  Commis 
sion  came  in.  There  stood  their  temporary 
lodge  and  kitchen,  and  here,  hobbling  out  of 
their  tents,  came  the  wounded  men  who  had 
made  their  way  down  from  the  corps-hospitals, 
expecting  to  leave  at  once  in  the  return-cars. 

"  This  is  the  way  the  thing  was  managed  at 
first :  The  surgeons  left  in  care  of  the  wounded 
three  or  four  miles  out  from  the  town,  went  up 
and  down  among  the  men  in  the  morning,  and 
said,  '  Any  of  you  boys  who  can  make  your 
way  to  the  cars  can  go  to  Baltimore.'  So  off 
start  all  who  think  they  feel  well  enough ;  any 
thing  better  than  the  '  hospitals,'  so  called,  for 
the  first  few  days  after  a  battle.  Once  the  men 
have  the  surgeons'  permission  to  go,  they  are 
off;  and  there  may  be  an  interval  of  a  day,  or 
two  days,  should  any  of  them  be  too  weak  to 
reach  the  train  in  time,  during  which  these  poor 
fellows  belong  to  no  one,  —  the  hospital  at  one 
end,  the  railroad  at  the  other,  —  with,  far  more 


12G  THE   UNITED   STATES 

than  chance  of  falling  through  between  the  two. 
The  Sanitary  Commission  knew  this  would  be 
so  of  necessity,  and,  coming  in,  made  a  connect 
ing  link  between  these  two  ends. 

"  For  the  first  few  days  the  worst  cases  only 
came  down  in  ambulances  from  the  hospitals ; 
hundreds  of  fellows  hobbled  along  as  best  they 
could  in  heat  and  dust,  for  hoars,  slowly  toiling; 
and  many  hired  farmers'  wagons,  as  hard  as  the 
farmers'  fists  themselves,  and  were  jolted  down 
to  the  railroad,  at  three  or  four  dollars  the  man. 
Think  of  the  disappointment  of  a  soldier,  sick, 
body  and  heart,  to  find,  at  the  end  of  this  mis 
erable  journey,  that  his  effort  to  get  away,  into 
which  he  had  put  all  his  remaining  stock  of 
strength,  was  useless ;  that  '  the  cars  had  gone,' 
or  '  the  cars  were  full ' ;  that  while  he  was  com 
ing  others  had  stepped  down  before  him,  and 
that  he  must  turn  all  the  weary  way  back  again, 
or  sleep  on  the  roadside  till  the  next  train  '  to 
morrow  '  !  Think  what  this  would  have  been, 
and  you  are  ready  to  appreciate  the  relief 
and  comfort  that  was.  No  men  were  turned 
back.  You  fed  and  you  sheltered  them  just 
when  no  one  else  could  have  done  so ;  and  out 
of  the  boxes  and  barrels  of  good  and  nourishing 
things,  which  you  people  at  home  had  supplied, 
we  took  all  that  was  needed.  Some  of  you  sent 
a  stove  (that  is,  the  money  to  get  it),  some  of 
you  the  beef-stock,  some  of  you  the  milk  and 
fresh  bread ;  and  all  of  you  would  have  been 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  127 

thankful  that  you  had  done  so,  could  you  have 
seen  the  refreshment  and  comfort  received 
through  these  things. 

"  As  soon  as  the  men  hobbled  up  to  the  tents, 
good  hot  soup  was  given  all  round;  and  that 
over,  their  wounds  were  dressed,  —  for  the  gen 
tlemen  of  the  Commission  are  cooks  or  sur 
geons,  as  occasion  demands,  —  and,  finally,  with 
their  blankets  spread  over  the  stra\v,  the  men 
stretched  themselves  out  and  were  happy  and 
contented  till  morning,  and  the  next  train. 

"  On  the  day  that  the  railroad  bridge  was  re 
paired,  we  moved  up  to  the  depot,  close  by  the 
town,  and  had  things  in  perfect  order;  a  first- 
rate  camping-ground,  in  a  large  field  directly  by 
the  track,  with  unlimited  supply  of  delicious  cool 
water.  Here  we  set  up  two  stoves,  with  four 
large  boilers,  always  kept  full  of  soup  and  coffee, 
watched  by  four  or  five  black  men,  who  did  the 
cooking,  under  our  direction,  and  sang  (not  un 
der  our  direction)  at  the  tops  of  their  voices  all 
day,— 

'  Oh  darkies,  hab  you  seen  my  Massa  ?  ' 

'  When  this  cruel  war  is  over' 

Then  we  had  three  large  hospital  tents,  holding 
about  thirty-five  each,  a  large  camp-meeting  sup 
ply-tent,  where  barrels  of  goods  were  stored,  and 
our  own  smaller  tent,  fitted  up  with  tables,  where 
jelly-pots,  and  bottles  of  all  kinds  of  good  syrups, 
blackberry  and  black  currant,  stood  in  rows. 
Barrels  were  ranged  round  the  tent-walls ;  shirts, 


128  THE  UNITED  STATES 

drawers,  dressing-gowns,  socks,  and  slippers  (I 
wish  we  had  had  more  of  the  latter),  rags  and 
bandages,  each  in  its  own  place  on  one  side ;  on 
the  other,  boxes  of  tea,  coffee,  soft  crackers,  tam 
arinds,  cherry  brandy,  &c.  Over  the  kitchen, 
and  over  this  small  supply-tent,  we  women  rather 
reigned,  and  filled  up  our  wants  by  requisitions 
on  the  Commission's  depot.  By  this  time  there 
had  arrived  a  i  delegation '  of  just  the  right  kind 
from  Canandaigua,  N.  Y.,  with  surgeon's  dressers 
and  attendants,  bringing  a  first-rate  supply  of 
necessities  and  comforts  for  the  wounded,  which 
they  handed  over  to  the  Commission. 

"  Twice  a  day  the  trains  left  for  Baltimore  or 
Harrisburg,  and  twice  a  day  we  fed  all  the 
wounded  who  arrived  for  them.  Things  were 
systematized  now,  and  the  men  came  down  in 
long  ambulance  trains  to  the  cars ;  baggage-cars 
they  were,  filled  with  straw  for  the  wounded  to 
lie  on,  and  broken  open  at  either  end  to  let  in  the 
air.  A  Government  surgeon  was  always  present 
to  attend  to  the  careful  lifting  of  the  soldiers 
from  ambulance  to  car.  Many  of  the  men  could 
get  along  very  nicely,  holding  one  foot  up,  and 
taking  great  jumps  on  their  crutches.  The  lat 
ter  were  a  great  comfort;  we  had  a  nice  supply 
at  the  Lodge ;  and  they  travelled  up  and  down 
from  the  tents  to  the  cars  daily.  Only  occasion 
ally  did  we  dare  let  a  pair  go  on  with  some  very 
lame  soldier,  who  begged  for  them  ;  we  needed 
them  to  help  the  new  arrivals  each  day,  and 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  129 

trusted  to  the  men  being  supplied  at  the  hospi 
tals  at  the  journey's  end.  Pads  and  crutches  are 
a  standing  want,  —  pads  particularly.  We  man 
ufactured  them  out  of  the  rags  we  had,  stuffed 
with  sawdust  from  brandy-boxes  ;  and  with  half 

a  sheet  and  some  soft  straw,  Mrs. made 

a  poor  dying  boy  as  easy  as  his  sufferings  would 
permit.  Poor  young  fellow,  he  was  so  grateful 
to  her  for  Washing  and  feeding  and  comforting 
him.  He  was  too  ill  to  bear  the  journey,  and 
went  from  our  tent  to  the  church  hospital,  and 
from  the  church  to  his  grave,  which  would  have 

been  coffi nless  but  for  the  care  of ;  for  the 

Quartermaster's  Department  was  overtaxed, 
and  for  many  days  our  dead  were  simply 
wrapped  in  their  blankets  and  put  into  the 
earth.  It  is  a  soldierly  way,  after  all,  of  lying 
wrapped  in  the  old  war-worn  blanket,  —  the 
little  dust  returned  to  dust. 

"  When  the  surgeons  had  the  wounded  all 
placed,  with  as  much  comfort  as  seemed  possi 
ble  under  the  circumstances,  on  board  the  train, 
our  detail  of  men  would  go  from  car  to  car, 
with  soup  made  of  beef-stock  or  fresh  meat, 
full  of  potatoes,  turnips,  cabbage,  and  rice,  with 
fresh  bread  and  coffee,  and,  when  stimulants 
were  needed,  with  ale,  milk-punch,  or  brandy. 
Water-pails  were  in  great  demand  for  use  in 
the  cars  on  the  journey,  and  also  empty  bot 
tles  to  take  the  place  of  canteens.  All  our 
whisky  and  brandy  bottles  were  washed  and 


130  THE  UNITED   STATES 

filled  up  at  the  spring,  and  the  boys  went  off 
carefully  hugging  their  extemporized  canteens, 
from  which  they  would  wet  their  wounds,  or 
refresh  themselves  till  the  journey  ended.  I  do 
not  think  that  a  man  of  the  sixteen  thousand 
who  were  transported  during  our  stay,  went 
from  Gettysburg  without  a  good  meal.  Rebels 
and  Unionists  together,  they  all  had  it,  and 
were  pleased  and  satisfied.  *  Have  you  friends 
in  the  Army,  madam  ?'  a  rebel  soldier,  lying  on 
the  floor  of  the  car,  said  to  me,  as  I  gave  him 
some  milk.  l  Yes,  my  brother  is  on  -  — 's 
staff.'  '  I  thought  so,  ma'am.  You  can  always 
tell ;  when  people  are  good  to  soldiers  they  are 
sure  to  have  friends  in  the  Army.'  '  We  are 
rebels,  you  know,  ma'am,'  another  said.  '  Do 
you  treat  rebels  so  ?  '  It  was  strange  to  see  the 
good  brotherly  feeling  come  over  the  soldiers, 
our  own  and  the  rebels,  when  side  by  side  they 
lay  in  our  tents.  '  Hullo,  boys !  this  is  the 
pleasantest  way  to  meet,  is  n't  it  ?  We  are  bet 
ter  friends  when  we  are  as  close  as  this  than  a 
little  farther  off.'  And  then  they  would  go  over 
the  battles  together,  '  We  were  here,'  and  '  you 
were  there,'  in  the  friendliest  way. 

"  After  each  train  of  cars  daily,  for  the  three 
weeks  we  were  in  Gettysburg,  trains  of  ambu 
lances  arrived  too  late,  —  men  who  must  spend 
the  day  with  us  until  the  5  p.  M.  cars  went,  and 
men  too  late  for  the  5  p.  M.  train,  who  must 
spend  the  night  till  the  10  A.  M.  cars  went 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  131 

All  the  men  who  came  in  this  way,  under  out 
own  immediate  and  particular  attention,  were 
given  the  best  we  had  of  care  and  food.  The 
surgeon  in  charge  of  our  camp,  with  his  most 
faithful  dresser  and  attendants,  looked  after  all 
their  wounds,  which  were  often  in  a  shocking 
state,  particularly  among  the  rebels.  Every 
evening  and  morning  they  were  dressed.  Often 
the  men  would  say.  '  That  feels  good.  I  have  n't 
had  my  wound  so  well  dressed  since  I  was  hurt.' 
Something  cool  to  drink  is  the  first  thing  asked 
for  after  the  long,  dusty  drive ;  and  pailfuls  of 
tamarinds  and  water,  '  a  beautiful  drink,'  the 
men  used  to  say,  disappeared  rapidly  among 
them. 

"  After  the  men's  wounds  were  attended  to, 
we  went  round  giving  them  clean  clothes  ;  had 
basins  and  soap  and  towels,  and  followed  these 
with  socks,  slippers,  shirts,  drawers,  and  those 
coveted  dressing-gowns.  Such  pride  as  they 
felt  in  them!  comparing  colors,  and  smiling  all 
over  as  they  lay  in  clean  and  comfortable  rows, 
ready  for  supper,  — {  on  dress  parade,'  they  used 
to  say.  And  then  the  milk,  particularly  if  it 
were  boiled  and  had  a  little  whisky  and  sugar, 
and  the  bread,  with  butter  on  it,  and  jelly  on 
the  butter:  how  good  it  all  was,  and  how  lucky 
we  felt  ourselves  in  having  the  immense  satis 
faction  of  distributing  these  things,  which  all  of 
you,  hard  at  work  in  villages  and  cities,  were 
getting  ready  and  sending  off,  in  faith. 


132  THE   UNITED   STATES 

"  Canandaigua  sent  cologne  with  its  other 
supplies,  which  went  right  to  the  noses  and 
hearts  of  the  men.  '  That  is  good,  now '  ;  —  'I'll 
take  some  of  that'  ;  —  'worth  a  penny  a  sniff'  ; 
*  that  kinder  gives  one  life ' ;  —  and  so  on,  all 
round  the  tents,  as  we  tipped  the  bottles  up  on 
the  clean  handkerchiefs  some  one  had  sent,  and 
when  they  were  gone,  over  squares  of  cotton, 
on  which  the  perfume  took  the  place  of  hem,  — 
'just  as  good,  ma'am.'  We  varied  our  din 
ners  with  custard  and  baked  rice  puddings, 
scrambled  eggs,  codfish  hash,  corn-starch,  and 
always  as  much  soft  bread,  tea,  coffee,  or  milk 
as  they  wanted.  Two  Massachusetts  boys  I 
especially  remember  for  the  satisfaction  with 
which  they  ate  their  pudding.  I  carried  a 
second  plateful  up  to  the  cars,  after  they  had 
been  put  in,  and  fed  one  of  them  till  he  was 
sure  he  had  had  enough.  Young  fellows  they 
were,  lying  side  by  side,  one  with  a  right  and 
one  with  a  left  arm  gone. 

"  The  Gettysburg  women  were  kind  and  faith 
ful  to  the  wounded  and  their  friends,  and  the 
town  was  full  to  overflowing  of  both.  The  first 

day,  when   Mrs. and   I  reached  the  place, 

we  literally  begged  our  bread  from  door  to 
door;  but  the  kind  woman  who  at  last  gave  us 
dinner  would  take  no  pay  for  it.  *  No,  ma'am, 
I  should  n't  wish  to  have  that  sin  on  my  soul 
when  the  war  is  over.'  She,  as  well  as  others, 
had  fed  the  strangers  flocking  into  town  daily, 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  133 

sometimes  over  fifty  of  them  for  each  meal,  and 
all  for  love  and  nothing  for  reward ;  and  one 
night  we  forced  a  reluctant  confession  from  our 
hostess  that  she  was  meaning  to  sleep  on  the 
floor  that  we  might  have  a  bed,  her  whole  houst? 
being  full.  Of  course  we  could  n't  allow  this 

o 

self-sacrifice,  and  hunted  up  some  other  place  to 
stay  in.  We  did  her  no  good,  however,  for  we 
afterwards  found  that  the  bed  was  given  up  that 
night  to  some  other  stranger  who  arrived  late 
and  tired :  '  An  old  lady,  you  know ;  and  I 
could  n't  let  an  old  lady  sleep  on  the  floor.' 
Such  acts  of  kindness  and  self-denial  were  al 
most  entirely  confined  to  the  women. 

"  Few  good  things  can  be  said  of  the  Gettys 
burg  farmers,  and  I  only  use  Scripture  language 
in  calling  them  '  evil  beasts.'  One  of  this  kind 
came  creeping  into  our  camp  three  weeks  after 
the  battle.  He  lived  five  miles  only  from  the 
town,  and  had  '  never  seen  a  rebel.'  He  heard 
we  had  some  of  them,  and  came  down  to  see 
them.  '  Boys,'  we  said,  —  marching  him  into 
the  tent  which  happened  to  be  full  of  rebels 
that  day,  waiting  for  the  train,  — '  Boys,  here  's  a 
man  who  never  saw  a  rebel  in  his  life,  and  wants 
to  look  at  you  ' ;  and  there  he  stood  with  his 
mouth  wide  open,  and  there  they  lay  in  rows, 
laughing  at  him,  stupid  old  Dutchman.  '  And 

why  have  n't  you  seen  a  rebel  ? '  Mrs. said  ; 

i  why  didn't  you  take  your  gun  and  help  to 
drive  them  out  of  your  town  ? '  *  A  feller 


134  THE  UNITED   STATES 

might 'er  got  hit! '  — which  reply  was  quite  too 
much  for  the  rebels;  they  roared  with  laughter 
at  him,  up  and  down  the  tent. 

"  One  woman  we  saw,  who  was  by  no  means 
Dutch,  and  whose  pluck  helped  to  redeem  the 
other  sex.  She  lived  in  a  little  house  close  up 
by  the  field  where  the  hardest  fighting  was 
done,  —  a  red-cheeked,  strong,  country  girl. 
1  Were  you  frightened  when  the  shells  began 
flying  ? '  '  Well,  no.  You  see  we  was  all 
a-baking  bread  round  here  for  the  soldiers,  and 
had  our  dough  a-rising.  The  neighbors  they 
ran  into  their  cellars,  but  I  could  n't  leave  my 
bread.  When  the  first  shell  came  in  at  the 
window"  and  crashed  through  the  room,  an  offi 
cer  came  and  said,  "  You  had  better  get  out  of 
this  "  ;  but  I  told  him  I  could  not  leave  my  bread  ; 
and  I  stood  working  it  till  the  third  shell  came 
through,  and  then  I  went  down  cellar;  but'  (tri 
umphantly)  '  I  left  my  bread  in  the  oven.'  ;  And 
why  did  n't  you  go  before  ?  '  '  Oh,  you  see,  if 
I  had,  the  rebels  would  'a'  come  in  and  daubed 
the  dough  all  over  the  place.'  And  here  she 
had  stood,  at  the  risk  of  unwelcome  plums  in 
her  loaves,  while  great  holes  (which  we  saw) 
were  made  by  shot  and  shell  through  and 
through  the  room  in  which  she  was  working. 

"  The  streets  of  Gettysburg  were  filled  with 
the  battle.  People  thought  and  talked  of  noth 
ing  else;  even  the  children  showed  their  little 
spites  by  calling  to  each  other,  '  Here,  you 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  135 

rebel ' ;  and  mere  scraps  of  boys  amused  them 
selves  with  percussion-caps  and  hammers.  Hun 
dreds  of  old  muskets  were  piled  on  the  pave 
ments,  the  men  who  shouldered  them  a  week 
before  lying  underground  now,  or  helping  to  fill 
the  long  trains  of  ambulances  on  their  way  from 
the  field.  The  private  houses  of  the  town  were, 
many  of  them,  hospitals  ;  the  little  red  flags 
hung  from  the  upper  windows.  Beside  our 
own  men  at  the  Lodge,  we  all  had  soldiers  scat 
tered  about  whom  we  could  help  from  our  sup 
plies  ;  and  nice  little  puddings  and  jellies,  or  an 
occasional  chicken,  were  a  great  treat  to  men 
condemned  by  their  wounds  to  stay  in  Gettys 
burg  and  obliged  to  live  on  what  the  empty 
town  could  provide.  There  was  a  colonel  in  a 
shoe-shop,  a  captain  just  up  the  street,  and  a 
private  round  the  corner  whose  young  sister 
had  possessed  herself  of  him,  overcoming  the 
military  rules  in  some  way,  and  carrying  him 
off  to  a  little  room,  all  by  himself,  where  I  found 
her  doing  her  best  with  very  little.  She  came 
afterward  to  our  tent  and  got  for  him  clean 
clothes,  and  good  food,  and  all  he  wanted,  and 
was  perfectly  happy  in  being  his  cook,  washer 
woman,  medical  cadet,  and  nurse.  Beside  such 
as  these,  we  occasionally  carried  from  our  sup 
plies  something  to  the  churches,  which  were 
filled  with  sick  and  wounded,  and  where  men 
were  dying,  —  men  whose  strong  patience  it  was 
very  hard  to  bear,  —  dying  with  thoughts  of  the 


136  THE   UNITED   STATES 

old  home  far  away,  saying,  as  last  words,  for 
the  woman  watching  there  and  waiting  with  a 
patience  equal  in  its  strength,  '  Tell  her  I  love 
her.' 

"  Late  one  afternoon,  too  late  for  the  cars,  a 
train  of  ambulances  arrived  at  our  Lodge  with 
over  one  hundred  wounded  rebels,  to  be  cared 
for  through  the  night.  Only  one  among  them 
seemed  too  weak  and  faint  to  take  anything. 
He  was  badly  hurt,  and  failing.  I  went  to  him 
after  his  wound  was  dressed,  and  found  him  ly 
ing  on  his  blanket  stretched  over  the  straw,  —  a 
fair-haired,  blue-eyed  young  lieutenant,  with  a 
face  innocent  enough  for  one  of  our  own  New 
England  boys.  I  could  not  think  of  him  as  a 
rebel ;  he  was  too  near  heaven  for  that.  He 
wanted  nothing,  —  had  not  been  willing  to  eat 
for  days,  his  comrades  said  ;  but  I  coaxed  him 
to  try  a  little  milk  gruel,  made  nicely  with  lemon 
and  brandy ;  and  one  of  the  satisfactions  of  our 
three  weeks  is  the  remembrance  of  the  empty 
cup  I  took  away  afterward,  and  his  perfect  en 
joyment  of  that  supper.  '  It  was  so  good,  the 
best  thing  he  had  had  since  he  was  wounded,'  — 
and  he  thanked  me  so  much,  and  talked  about 
his  '  good  supper  '  for  hours.  Poor  fellow,  he  had 
had  no  care,  and  it  was  a  surprise  and  pleasure 
to  find  himself  thought  of;  so,  in  a  pleased, 
childlike  way,  he  talked  about  it  till  midnight, 
the  attendant  told  me,  as  long  as  he  spoke  of 
anything ;  for  at  midnight  the  change  came,  and 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  137 

from  that  time  he  only  thought  of  the  old  days 
before  he  was  a  soldier,  when  he  sang  hymns  in 
his  father's  church.  He  sang  them  now  again, 
in  a  clear,  sweet  voice.  '  Lord,  have  rnercy 
upon  me';  and  then  songs  without  words  —  a 
sort  of  low  intoning.  His  father  was  a  Lu 
theran  clergyman  in  South  Carolina,  one  of  the 
rebels  told  us  in  the  morning,  when  we  went  into 
the  tent,  to  find  him  sliding  out  of  our  care.  All 
day  long  we  watched  him, —  sometimes  fighting 
his  battles  over,  often  singing  his  Lutheran 
chants,  till,  in  at  the  tent-door,  close  to  which 
he  lay,  looked  a  rebel  soldier,  just  arrived  with 
other  prisoners.  He  started  when  he  saw  the 
lieutenant,  and  quickly  kneeling  down  by  him, 
called  *  Henry  !  Henry! '  But  Henry  was  look 
ing  at  some  one  a  great  way  off,  and  could 
not  hear  him.  '  Do  you  know  this  soldier  ?  ' 
we  said.  '  Oh,  yes,  ma'am ;  and  his  brother 
is  wounded  and  a  prisoner,  too,  in  the  cars 
now.'  Two  or  three  men  started  after  him, 
found  him,  and  half  carried  him  from  the  cars 
to  our  tent.  'Henry'  did  not  know  him, 
though  ;  and  he  threw  himself  down  by  his  side 
on  the  straw,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  day  lay  in  a 
sort  of  apathy,  without  speaking,  except  to  as 
sure  himself  that  he  could  stay  with  his  brother, 
without  the  risk  of  being  separated  from  his  fel 
low-prisoners.  And  there  the  brothers  lay,  and 
there  we  strangers  sat  watching  and  listening 
to  the  strong,  clear  voice,  singing  '  Lord,  have 


138  THE   UNITED   STATES 

mercy  upon  me.'  The  Lord  had  mercy ;  and 
at  sunset  I  put  my  hand  on  the  lieutenant's 
heart,  to  find  it  still.  All  night  the  brother  lay 
close  against  the  coffin,  and  in  the  morning 
went  away  with  his  comrades,  leaving  us  to 
bury  Henry,  having  *  confidence '  ;  but  first 
thanking  us  for  what  we  had  done, -and  giving 
us  all  that  he  had  to  show  his  gratitude,  —  the 
palmetto  ornament  from  his  brother's  cap  and 
a  button  from  his  coat.  Dr.  W.  read  the  burial 
service  that  morning  at  the  grave,  and  - 
wrote  his  name  on  the  little  head-board :  '  Lieut. 
Rauch,  14th  Regt.  S.  Carolina  Vol.' 

"Li  the  field  where  we  buried  him,  a  number 
of  colored  freedmen,  working  for  Government 
on  the  railroad,  had  their  camp,  and  every  night 
they  took  their  recreation,  after  the  heavy  work 
of  the  day  was  over,  in  prayer-meetings.  Such 
an  '  inferior  race,'  you  know !  We  went  over 
one  night  and  listened  for  an  hour,  while  they 
sang,  collected  under  the  fly  of  a  tent,  a  table  in 
the  middle  where  the  leader  sat,  and  benches  all 
round  the  sides  for  the  congregation,  —  men 
only,  —  all  very  black  and  very  earnest.  They 
prayed  with  all  their  souls,  as  only  black  men 
and  slaves  can ;  for  themselves  and  for  the  dear, 
white  people  who  had  come  over  to  the  meeting  ; 
and  for  '  Massa  Lincoln,'  for  whom  they  seemed 
to  have  a  reverential  affection,  —  some  of  them 
a  sort  of  worship,  which  confused  Father  Abra 
ham  and  Massa  Abraham  in  one  general  cry  for 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  139 

blessings.  Whatever  else  they  asked  for,  they 
must  have  strength  and  comfort  and  blessing 
for  '  Massa  Lincoln.'  Very  little  care  was 
taken  of  these  poor  men.  Those  who  were  ill 
during  our  stay  were  looked  after  by  one  of  the 
officers  of  the  Commission.  They  were  grateful 

for  every  little  thing.     Mrs. went  into  the 

town  and  hunted  up  several  dozen  bright  hand 
kerchiefs,  hemmed  them,  and  sent  them  over  to 
be  distributed  the  next  night  after  meeting. 
They  were  put  on  the  table  in  the  tent,  and, 
one  by  one,  the  men  came  up  to  get  them. 
Purple  and  blue  and  yellow  the  handkerchiefs 
were,  and  the  desire  of  every  man's  heart  fas 
tened  itself  on  a  yellow  one  ;  they  politely  made 
way  for  each  other,  though,  —  one  man  standing 
back  to  let  another  pass  up  first,  although  he 
ran  the  risk  of  seeing  the  particular  pumpkin- 
color  that  riveted  his  eyes  taken  from  before 
them.  When  the  distribution  was  over,  each 
man  tied  his  head  up  in  his  handkerchief,  and 
they  sang  one  more  hymn,  keeping  time  all 
round,  with  blue  and  purple  and  yellow  nods, 
and  thanking  and  blessing  the  white  people  in 
'  their  basket  and  in  their  store,'  as  much  as  if 
the  cotton  handkerchiefs  had  all  been  gold  leaf. 
One  man  came  over  to  our  tent  next  day,  to 
say,  '  Missus,  was  it  you  who  sent  me  that 
present  ?  I  never  had  anything  so  beautiful  in 
ah1  my  life  before '  ;  and  he  only  had  a  blue 
one,  too. 


140  THE  UNITED   STATES 

"  Among  our  wounded  soldiers,  one  night, 
came  an  elderly  man,  sick,  wounded,  and  crazy, 
singing  and  talking  about  home.  We  did  what 
we  could  for  him,  and  pleased  him  greatly  with 
a  present  of  a  red  flannel  shirt,  drawers,  and  red 
calico  dressing-gown,  all  of  which  he  "needed, 
and  in  which  he  dressed  himself  up,  and  then 
wrote  a  letter  to  his  wife,  made  it  into  a  little 
book  with  gingham  covers,  and  gave  it  to  one 
of  the  gentlemen  to  mail  for  him.  The  next 
morning  he  was  sent  on  with  the  company  from 
the  Lodge ;  and  that  evening  two  tired  women 
came  into  our  camp,  —  his  wife  and  sister,  who 
hurried  on  from  their  home  to  meet  him,  arriving 
just  too  late.  Fortunately  we  had  the  queer 
little  gingham  book  to  identify  him  by,  and 
when  some  one  said,  '  It  is  the  man,  you  know, 
who  screamed  so,'  the  poor  wife  was  certain 
about  him.  He  had  been  crazy  before  the  war, 
but  not  for  two  years,  now,  she  said.  He  had 
been  fretting  for  home  since  he  was  hurt ;  and 
when  the  doctor  told  him  there  was  no  chance 
of  his  being  sent  there,  he  lost  heart,  and  wrote 
to  his  wife  to  come  and  carry  him  away.  It 
seemed  almost  hopeless  for  two  lone  women, 
who  had  never  been  out  of  their  own  little  town, 
to  succeed  in  finding  a  soldier  among  so  many, 
sent  in  so  many  different  directions ;  but  we 
helped  them  as  we  could,  and  started  them  on 
their  journey  the  next  morning,  back  on  their 
track,  to  use  their  common  sense  and  Yankee 
privilege  of  questioning. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  141 

"  A  week  after,  Mrs. had  a  letter  fall  of 

gratitude,  and  saying  that  the  husband  was 
found  and  secured  for  home.  That  same  night 
we  had  had  in  our  tents  two  fathers,  with  their 
wounded  sons,  and  a  nice  old  German  mother 
with  her  boy.  She  had  come  in  from  Wiscon 
sin,  and  brought  with  her  a  patchwork  bed- 
quilt  for  her  son,  thinking  he  might  have  lost 
his  blanket ;  and  there  he  laid  all  covered  up  in 
his  quilt,  looking  so  homelike,  and  feeling  so, 
too,  no  doubt,  with  his  good  old  mother  close  at 
his  side.  She  seemed  bright  and  happy,  —  had 
three  sons  in  the  Army,  —  one  had  been  killed,  — 
this  one  wounded  ;  yet  she  was  so  pleased  with 
the  tents,  and  the  care  she  saw  taken  there  of 
the  soldiers,  that,  while  taking  her  tea  from  a 
barrel-head  as  table,  she  said,  c  Indeed,  if  she 
was  a  man,  she  'd  be  a  soldier,  too,  right  off.' 

"  For  this  temporary  sheltering  and  feeding  of 
all  these  wounded  men,  Government  could  make 
no  provision.  There  was  nothing  for  them,  if  too 
late  for  the  cars,  except  the  open  field  and  hun 
ger,  in  preparation  for  their  fatiguing  journey. 
It  is  expected  when  the  cars  are  ready  that  the 
men  will  be  promptly  sent  to  meet  them,  and 
Government  cannot  provide  for  mistakes  and 
delays ;  so  that,  but  for  the  Sanitary  Commis 
sion's  Lodge  and  comfortable  supplies,  for  which 
the  wounded  are  indebted  to  the  hard  workers 
at  home,  men  badly  hurt  must  have  suffered 
night  and  day,  while  waiting  for  the  (  next 


142  THE  UNITED   STATES 

train.'  We  had  on  an  average  sixty  of  such  men 
each  night  for  three  weeks  under  our  care,  — 
sometimes  one  hundred,  sometimes  only  thirty ; 
and  with  the  '  delegation,'  and  the  help  of  other 
gentlemen  volunteers,  who  all  worked  devotedly 
for  the  men,  the  whole  thing  was  a  great  suc 
cess,  and  you  and  all  of  us  can't  help  being 
thankful  that  we  had  a  share,  however  small, 
in  making  it  so.  Sixteen  thousand  good  meals 
were  given  ;  hundreds  of  men  kept  through  the 
day,  and  twelve  hundred  sheltered  at  night, 
their  wounds  dressed,  their  supper  and  breakfast 
secured  —  rebels  and  all.  You  will  not,  I  am 
sure,  regret  that  these  most  wretched  men,  these 
i  enemies,'  '  sick  and  in  prison,'  were  helped 
and  cared  for  through  your  supplies,  though, 
certainly,  they  were  not  in  your  minds  when 
you  packed  your  barrels  and  boxes.  The  cloth 
ing  we  reserved  for  our  own  men,  except  now 
and  then  when  a  shivering  rebel  needed  it ;  but 
in  feeding  them  we  could  make  no  distinctions. 
"  Our  three  weeks  were  coming  to  an  end  ;  the 
work  of  transporting  the  wounded  was  nearly 
over ;  twice  daily  we  had  filled  and  emptied  our 
tents,  and  twice  fed  the  trains  before  the  long 
journey.  The  men  came  in  slowly  at  the  last,  — 
a  lieutenant,  all  the  way  from  Oregon,  being 
among  the  very  latest.  He  came  down  from 
the  corps  hospitals  (now  greatly  improved), 
having  lost  one  foot,  poor  fellow,  dressed  in  a 
full  suit  of  the  Commission's  cotton  clothes, 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  143 

just  as  bright  and  as  cheerful  as  the  first  man, 
and  all  the  men  that  we  received  had  been.  We 
never  heard  a  complaint.  '  Would  he  like  a 
little  nice  soup?'  *  Well,  no,  thank  you, 
ma'am ' ;  hesitating  and  polite.  '  You  have  a 
long  ride  before  you,  and  had  better  take  a 
little  ;  I'll  just  bring  it  and  you  can  try.'  So 
the  good,  thick  soup  came.  He  took  a  very 
little  in  the  spoon  to  please  me,  and  afterwards 
the  whole  cupful  to  please  himself.  He  { did 
not  think  it  was  this  kind  of  soup  I  meant.  He 
had  some  in  camp,  and  did  not  think  he  cared 
for  any  more;  his  "cook"  was  a  very  small  boy, 
though,  who  just  put  some  meat  in  a  little  water 
and  stirred  it  round.'  l  Would  you  like  a 
handkerchief?'  and  I  produced  our  last  one, 
with  a  hem  and  cologne  too.  '  Oh  yes  ;  that 
is  what  I  need ;  I  have  lost  mine,  and  was  just 
borrowing  this  gentleman's.'  So  the  lieuten 
ant,  the  last  man,  was  made  comfortable,  thanks 
to  all  of  you,  though  he  had  but  one  foot  to 
carry  him  on  his  long  journey  home. 

"  Four  thousand  soldiers,  too  badly  hurt  to  be 
moved,  were  still  left  in  Gettysburg,  cared  for 
kindly  and  well  at  the  large,  new  Government 
hospital,  with  a  Sanitary  Commission  attach 
ment. 

"  Our  work  was  over,  our  tents  were  struck, 
and  we  came  away  after  a  flourish  of  trumpets 
from  two  military  bands  who  filed  down  to  our 
door,  and  gave  us  a  farewell  l  Red,  white,  and 
blue.'  » 


144  THE   UNITED   STATES 

During  the  battle  all  the  wounded  wer§  gath 
ered  into  field  hospitals,  as  most  convenient. 
Soon  they  were  divided  into  corps  hospitals 
in  the  field,  from  which  those  who  were  able  to 
be  removed  to  a  distance  were  brought  to  the 
railroad  depot,  where  the  Sanitary  Commis 
sion  had  large  tents  erected  for  their  reception 
and  refreshment  during  the  interval  of  the  de 
parture  of  trains  morning  and  evening. 

Large  store-tents  of  the  Commission  were 
also  at  hand,  filled  to  repletion  with  all  manner 
of  supplies.  A  cook-house  was  put  up  with 
caldrons  and  stoves  and  a  steam  apparatus, 
all  of  which  were  in  full  blast,  day  and  night. 
Ten  cooks  and  some  thirty  attendants  were 
occupied  in  preparing  and  dealing  out  to  each 
sufferer  such  nourishment  as  the  case  allowed. 
Clothes,  shoes,  crutches,  canes,  pads,  pillows, 
splints,  lint,  bandages,  and  every  kind  of  stim 
ulant,  and  anodyne,  and  every  appliance  which 
long  experience  and  thoughtful  care  could  antici 
pate  for  so  extreme  a  necessity,  were  dealt  out 
with  unsparing  diligence  and  attention,  day  and 
night.  Not  the  least  important  part  of  the  work 
which  the  Commission  performed  at  this  Depot- 
Lodge  was  the  dressing  of  wounds,  preparatory 
to  a  removal  in  the  cars.  In  this  department  a 
surgeon  and  a  corps  of  dressers  were  employed, 
who  devoted  their  entire  attention  to  the  exam 
ination  of  each  case,  applying  fresh  dressings 
and  preparing  the  wounded  to  sustain  the  jour 
ney  to  the  best  advantage. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  145 

The  trains  were  despatched  either  to  Eliza 
beth  port  (their  living  freight  to  take  boat  there 
for  David's  Island)  or  direct  to  Baltimore.  With 
each  train  went  a  surgeon  and  attendants  in 
charge  of  the  wounded.  Large  cans  of  iced 
water,  bags  of  crackers,  stimulants,  &c.,  were 
placed  on  board  the  cars  to  supply  every  neces 
sity.  Generally,  before  leaving,  each  canteen 
was  filled  with  water,  and  each  man  furnished 
with  an  extra  cup  of  coffee,  or  soup,  or  with  broth, 
as  they  desired.  This  system  was  continued  from 
the  9th  of  July  till  the  corps  hospitals  were 
relieved  of  all  who  were  able  to  be  removed 
to  a  distance.  Those  that  remained,  therefore, 
were  only  the  desperate  cases  of  amputation, 
compound  fracture,  and  penetrating  wounds  of 
the  chest  and  pelvis.  These  were  collected  with 
the  utmost  care,  many  of  them  on  stretchers, 
from  miles  around,  and  placed  under  the  three 
hundred  tents  which  constitute  Camp  Letter- 
man  Hospital ;  which  contained,  in  truth,  the 
very  dregs  of  battle  from  two  armies. 

The  Sanitary  Commission  station,  under  the 
charge  of  one  who,  whether  as  pastor  or  in  the 
field,  works  with  strength  and  a  single  mind, 
was  here  established.  The  large  tents  of  his 
mission  were  spread  beneath  tall  oaks  and  hick- 
orys.  One  of  them  was  the  lodging-place  of 
thirty  persons  ;  the  rest,  some  six  or  eight,  were 
occupied  as  store-tents  and  offices.  There  was 
also  a  kitchen  from  which  many  of  the  sick  and 
10 


146  THE   UNITED   STATES 

wounded  received  the  lighter  diet  which  was 
prescribed  or  allowed  by  the  surgeons.  This 
was  under  the  direction  of  ladies,  two  of  whom 
remained  there  for  several  months. 

The  surgeons  of  this  post,  deeply  impressed 
with  the  services  of  the  Sanitary  Commission, 
have  given  a  marked  testimony  of  their  feelings 
to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Winslow,  the  Inspector  who  is 
stationed  there  :  — 

"  CAMP  LETTKRMAN  HOSPITAL,  GETTYSBURG, 

"August  20/A,  1863. 

"  The  undersigned,  Surgeons  and  Assistant- 
Surgeons  of  the  General  Hospitals  near  Gettys 
burg,  take  pleasure  in  expressing  our  gratifica 
tion  at  the  manner  in  which  the  affairs  of 
the  United  States  Sanitary  Commission  have 
been  managed  since  the  late  battle.  The  sup 
plementary  articles  for  the  sick  and  wounded 
have  been  abundant,  comprising  every  requisite 
which  the  exigency  demanded,  and  which  noth 
ing  but  a  well-regulated  system,  with  much 
experience  and  forethought,  could  have  secured. 

"We  are  furthermore  convinced  that  the  system 
adopted  by  the  Commission,  of  disbursing  their 
supplies  only  on  the  requisition  of  a  surgeon,  is 
the  only  proper  and  safe  method.  Any  other 
method  necessarily  supposes  an  extra  force, 
which  is  calculated  to  cumber  the  hospital  with 
irresponsible  attendants,  distract  the  public  ben 
efactions,  if  not  divert  them,  from  a  just  and 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  ]47 

equal  distribution  among  the  patients  for  whom 
they  were  intended. 

"  Henry  Janes,  Surg.  IT.  S.  V.,  in  charge  Hos 
pitals  at  Gettysburg. 
E.   W.    Chamberlain,    Surg.    U.    S.    V.,  in 

charge  General  Hospital. 
S.    W.   Oakley,    Surg.   U.   S.    A.,   Medical 

Purveyor. 
Albert   B.    Stonelake,    Surg.   U.    S.  A.,  in 

charge  7th  Division. 
J.  D.  Osborne,   Surg.  U.  S.  V.,  4th   Regt. 

N.  Jersey  Vols. 
W.  F.  Bradley,  Asst.  Surg.  16th  Regt.  Mich. 

Vols. 

H.  C.  May,  Asst.  Surg.  145th  Regt.  N.  Y.  V. 
J.  B.  Sturtevant,  Asst.  Surg.  Penn.  Vols. 
Charles  D.  Gauntt,  M.  D.,  A.  A.  S.,  U.  S.  A. 
B.  F.  Butcher,  M.  D.,  «  " 

S.  A.  McArtbur,  M.  D.,  «  " 

W.  L.  Hayr,  M.  D.,  "  « 

H.  H.  Sutton,  M.  D.,  "  « 

E.  P.  Townsend,  M.  D.,  "  " 

D.  R.  Good,  M.  D.,  "  « 

P.  S.  Leisenring,  M.  D.,  "  " 

This  is  the  last  record  of  a  great  field-work 
still  going  on  with  the  Army  which  is  so  dear  to 
us  —  the  noble  Army  of  the  Potomac  !  —  but  to 
day  the  Sanitary  Commission  is  in  closer  rela 
tions  with  that  Army  than  ever  before. 

Immediately  after   the  battle  of  Gettysburg, 


148  THE  UNITED   STATES 

the  General  Secretary  prepared  a  plan  for  a 
"  Field  Relief  Corps,"  which  has  since  been 
admirably  organized  by  the  Chief  Inspector, 
Dr.  Steiner,  and  the  Field  Superintendent,  Mr. 
Johnson.  Each  army  corps  is  supplied  with  a 
relief  agent,  who  lives  with  it  and  moves  with 
it.  He  has  a  four-horse  wagon,  amply  sup 
plied  and  kept  supplied  with  stores,  travelling 
usually  with  the  ambulance  train.  These 
stores  are  issued,  as  usual,  to  the  field  hos 
pitals,  on  the  requisitions  of  the  medical  offi 
cers.  The  relief  agents  are  men  of  high 
character :  one  of  them  has  been  well  known 
and  valued  as  a  colonel  in  the  army,  another 
as  a  clergyman  in  California,  who  resigned  his 
work  to  give  himself  to  his  country  through 
that  channel  which  his  heart  and  mind  most 
approved.  These  agents  are  welcomed  as  co- 
laborers  in  the  great  war  of  Law  and  Right,  by 
the  officers  of  the  army,  medical  and  military. 
They  furnish  the  needed  articles  just  where  and 
as  they  are  needed,  and  often  personally  super 
intend  their  distribution,  keeping  an  eye  on  the 
proper  use  of  what  they  have  issued.  While 
laboring  for  the  good  of  the  whole  Army,  each 
feels  some  special  pride  in  seeing  that  his  own 
special  corps  or  family  is  kept  in  the  best  possi 
ble  condition.  The  oneness  of  the  Commission 
with  the  Government,  —  its  thorough  coopera 
tion  with  the  officers  of  the  Army — working  witli 
them,  —  gives  to  its  agents  power  and  facilities 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  140 

which  cannot  be  detailed  here.  They  know 
what  is  needed,  and,  knowing  it,  they  supply  it. 
Any  one  who  has  seen,  as  the  writer  has,  the 
waste  of  indiscriminate  giving,  will  readily  un 
derstand  the  cheapness  and  directness  of  this 
work  of  the  Commission. 

Another  feature  is  its  promptness  and  its 
availability.  The  requisitions  of  surgeons  will 
show  that,  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  the  Com 
mission  distributed  its  stores  under  fire  ;  but  it 
does  not  need  the  incitement  of  such  scenes. 
Life  and  suffering  are  to  be  saved  incessantly. 
The  work  of  the  battle-field  can  be  told  to  the 
country,  as  the  routine  work  cannot ;  but  the 
ardor  of  the  Commission  agents  is  the  same  in 
both,  for  the  incitements  of  humanity  are  the 
same.  The  following  extract,  which  is  in  point, 
is  from  a  report  of  the  Agent  of  the  2d  Army 
Corps,  which  held  the  advance  in  a  late  move 
ment  on  Culpepper.  He  says:  —  "During  the 
last  two  weeks  of  movement,  I  have  the  satis 
faction  of  knowing  that  my  wagon  was  always 
ahead  of  any  other  means  of  relief,  and  therefore 
doing  a  work  which  could  not  otherwise  have 
been  done.  I  dispensed  relief  to  wounded  cav 
alry  from  the  front,  within  an  hour  after  their 
wounds  were  received ;  and  gave  out  stores  at 
Culpepper  long  before  other  supplies  had  arrived. 
As  we  were  in  motion,  I  passed  out  articles  to 
surgeons  coming  down  with  ambulances  from 
the  front.  I  believe  this  was  the  case  with  the 


150  THE  UNITED   STATES 

relief  agents  of  other  corps.  I  am  satisfied 
that  the  Commission  on  the  late  march  was 
brought  to  the  notice  of  some  as  a  working  in 
stitution,  who  never  saw  it  before." 

The  Medical  Inspector  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  says  :  —  "  We  could  not  do  without 
the  Sanitary  Commission"  ;  —  and  the  Medical 
Director  of  that  Army  adds,  "  It  gives  no  trou 
ble, —  there  is  no  interference."  That,  indeed, 
is  its  strength.  It  is  supplemental  in  spirit  and 
in  act.  Thus  it  has  a  position  of  its  own  ;  it 
has  become  an  indispensable  portion  of  the  or 
ganization  of  the  Army,  working  at  its  proper 
task,  avoiding  all  interference  with  rules  and 
regulations, — nay,  respecting  and  maintaining 
them.  Has  it,  or  has  it  not,  fulfilled  its  pledges 
to  the  Government?  And  has  it,  or  has  it  not, 
won  a  position  in  the  confidence  of  the  officers, 
which  has  given  it  a  usefulness  it  could  not 
otherwise  have  obtained  ? 

By  a  system  of  weekly  reports  to  the  Chief 
Inspector  for  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  the  lat 
ter  is  able  to  control  the  whole  movement  of  the 
Field  Relief  Corps,  and  to  keep  up  a  complete 
knowledge  of  the  perfection  or  imperfection  of 
the  machinery  employed. 

In  concluding  this  little  sketch,  the  belief  must 
be  expressed  that  in  this  field  the  Commission 
is  doing  all  that  could  be  expected  of  it.  Its 
officers  are  working  with  a  quiet  enthusiasm 
which  could  not  be  obtained  by  money  nor  by 


SANITARY    COMMISSION.  151 

any  other  reward.  Each  one  knows  that  he  is 
working  in  something  which  has  become  indis 
pensable  to  the  country  and  to  the  war ;  and 
each  one  employed  feels  that  he  shall  look  back 
hereafter  with  incalculable  pleasure  to  the  fact 
that  he  once  labored  in  its  ranks. 

But  this  portion  of  the  story  must  close.  The 
reader  is  assured  that  the  character  and  effi 
ciency  of  the  work  have  been  no  more  than  indi 
cated.  And  yet,  from  what  is  here  told  perhaps 
the  question  can  be  answered,  Has  the  Sanitary 
Commission  justified  the  confidence  of  the  peo 
ple  ?  or  has  it  not  ? 

ARMIES  OF  THE  WEST. 

The  insufficiency  of  the  following  sketch  of 
the  work  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  in  this 
Department  is  felt  so  keenly,  that  the  reader  is 
requested  to  bear  in  mind  that  it  gives  no  just 
idea  of  what  has  been  done ;  it  is,  in  fact,  a  mere 
sketch  of  fragments  of  the  work,  —  a  mere  allu 
sion  to  the  vast  and  manifold  sources  of  supply. 
The  reason  for  this  must  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  the  subject  has  not  been  fully  reported  in 
detail  to  the  central  government  of  the  Com 
mission.  When  those  details  have  been  collect 
ed,  and  the  history  of  the  Sanitary  Commission 
shall  have  been  written,  it  will  be  seen  how  the 
West  has  borne  her  magnificent  part  in  the  na 
tional  work  of  relief  and  mercy. 

It  has  already  been  shown  that  the  women  in 


THE  UNITED  STATES 

that  division  of  our  country  were  among  the 
first  to  rise  in  the  common  cause,  as  they  were 
among  the  first  to  recognize  with  those  at  the 
East  the  wants  of  their  ignorance,  and  to  seek 
and  accept  the  Sanitary  Commission.  From 
their  geographical  position  they  have  enjoyed 
one  great  advantage  over  their  Eastern  sisters. 
They  have  been  personally,  as  it  were,  in  the 
very  centres  of  the  suffering  which  they  sought 
to  relieve.  From  this  cause  it  may  be  that 
there  have  been  amongst  them  less  doubt  of  the 
good ;  less  disposition  to  put  faith  in  stories 
which  have  hindered  that  good;  less  delibera 
tion  in  giving  themselves  to  the  cause ;  a  hear 
tier  energy  in  the  work.  From  the  same  cause 
may  have  proceeded  some  deficiencies  in  work 
ing  out  the  great  Federal  principle  of  the  Com 
mission, —  in  detail  of  work,  however,  not  in  the 
spirit  of  Union  ;  which  is  to  the  full  as  strong 
in  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi  as  in  the  Atlan 
tic  regions. 


The  Mississippi  River,  the  channel  between 
the  northern  Lakes  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
has  been  the  great  object  of  the  struggle 
between  the  loyal  and  disloyal  armies  of  the 
West. 

Illinois,  by  her  geographical  position,  was  the 
chief  State  to  profit  by  that  bountiful  provision 
of  nature  which  united  Lake  Michigan  to  the 


SAXITAIIY   COMMISSION.  153 

Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  brought  the  city  of  Chi 
cago  into  close  relationship  with  the  city  of  New 
Orleans.  This  State,  alive  to  the  importance 
of  securing  a  communication  of  so  much  con 
sequence  to  her  wealth  and  enterprise,  eagerly 
endeavored  to  prevent  the  rupture  of  the  Federal 
Union.  Her  troops  accepted  the  call  to  arms, 
and  soon  held  in  force  the  little  city  of  Cairo,  at 
that  time  the  most  important  strategic  point  at 
the  West.  It  stands  on  the  extreme  south  of 
Illinois,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Ohio  and  Mis 
sissippi  rivers,  as  Chicago  stands  nearly  due 
north  at  the  other  extremity  of  the  State,  upon 
the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan.  Cairo  thus  com 
mands  the  navigation  of  both  rivers.  It  was 
the  key  to  the  Northwest,  and  the  chief  source 
of  our  power  in  the  struggle  which  was  to  take 
place  in  Missouri ;  but  it  was  thrust  like  a  wedge 
into  the  heart  of  doubtful  districts,  and  there  was 
great  danger  that  the  disloyal  in  Missouri,  Ken 
tucky,  and  Tennessee  might  gain  possession  of  it. 
Here,  then,  the  shadows  of  war  began  to  fall, 
and  the  Sanitary  Commission,  quickly  upon  their 
track,  began  its  work.  Within  a  week  after  the 
organization  of  the  Commission,  its  President 
started  for  this  and  other  military  centres  in  the 
West,  on  a  mission  of  preliminary  inspection. 
Before  the  end  of  June  other  inspections  had 
been  made  in  a  thorough  manner,  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  Aigner,  showing  a  great  and 
unexpected  need  amongst  the  troops;  and  the 


154  THE   UNITED   STATES 

Branch  Commissions  at  Chicago  in  Illinois, 
and  Cleveland  in  Ohio,  so  soon  as  they  were 
formed,  began  to  distribute  stores  to  the  sick  in 
camp  and  hospital  at  Cairo,  Paducah,  Mound 
City,  Bird's  Point,  St.  Louis,  and  at  other  places 
in  the  interior  of  Missouri. 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  in  the  reports  of  these 
societies  that  the  first  actual  work  brought  out 
the  instinct  of  central  organization,  to  collect 
stores  and  economize  the  efforts  of  their  States, 
and  then  the  instinct  to  reach  out  into  some 
thing  Federal. 

In  the  history  of  the  rebellicyi,  Missouri  was 
one  of  the  last  among  the  insurgent  States  to 
lift  her  hand  against  the  Federal  Government. 
The  clouds  which  gathered  here  in  the  early 
spring,  rose  and  broke  into  a  storm  in  May, 
1861,  when  the  attack  was  made  on  the  arsenal 
at  St.  Louis;  and  Captain  Lyon  was  ready  for 
the  emergency.  This  was  the  beginning  of  ac 
tive  military  operations ;  the  rebel  General  Price 
retreating  finally  towards  Booneville,  where  a 
stand  was  made,  and  a  battle  fought  and  won 
by  General  Lyon.  Meanwhile  another  division 
under  General  Sigel  met  the  enemy  at  Car 
thage,  after  which  occurred  the  battle  of  Wil 
son's  Creek,  where  General  Lyon  was  killed, 
and  General  Sigel  took  command  of  the  Army. 
Later  came  the  siege  and  fall  of  Lexington, 
which  ended  the  campaign  ;  and  then  the  Fed 
eral  troops  were  at  once  disbanded. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  155 

General  Fremont  assumed  command  of  {he 
Department  and  organized  a  new  army  in  the 
autumn  of  1861.  He  left  St.  Louis,  compel 
led  Price  to  evacuate  Lexington,  and  marched 
southward,  day  and  night,  towards  Springfield, 
—  a  forced  march  which  had  a  terrible  and  fatal 
effect  upon  the  health  of  the  troops.  Here  Gen 
eral  Hunter  superseded  General  Fremont,  and, 
after  remaining  at  Springfield  until  Nov.  13, 
the  army  marched  back  over  the  same  road  it 
had  just  so  laboriously  and  fruitlessly  passed. 
At  this  point  the  United  States  Sanitary  Com 
mission  began  its  work  in  this  Department,  of 
which  General  Halleck  had  taken  the  command, 
General  Hunter  being  sent  to  Kansas. 

The  Inspectors  of  the  Commission,  Drs.  Doug 
las  and  Warriner,  found  the  Army  in  and  around 
St.  Louis.  The  condition  of  the  troops,  and  the 
influences  affecting  that  condition,  which  were 
found  in  Camp  Benton,  in  Benton  Barracks, 
in  Camp  Lamine,  at  Holla,  and  elsewhere,  are 
carefully  and  vividly  portrayed  in  the  reports  of 
the  Inspectors.  The  troops  had  returned  from 
their  fruitless  marches,  wearied,  exhausted,  dis 
heartened,  and  distrustful ;  and  in  this  condition 
they  fell  a  prey  to  disease,  especially  to  measles, 
-  some  regiments  being  almost  wholly  upon 
the  sick-list.  The  wants  of  these  men  were 
very  great.  No  sheets,  pillow-cases,  nor  hos 
pital  shirts  were  supplied,  until  the  Sanitary 
Commission  arrived.  Soon  afterwards,  how- 


156  THE  UNITED   STATES 

evqr,  their  condition  greatly  improved,  and 
their  wants  were  fully  inquired  into  and  re 
lieved  by  the  "  United  States  Sanitary  Commis 
sion,"  and  by  the  "  Western  Sanitary  Com 
mission," —  a  society  not  at- all  connected  with 
the  United  States  Sanitary  Commission,  and 
founded  at  St.  Louis,  in  Sept.  1861.*  There 
were  at  this  time  fifteen  general  and  post  hos 
pitals  in  and  around  that  city.  These  were  all 
visited,  inspected,  and  aided  with  advice  and 
supplies.  The  military  hospitals  in  the  city 
of  St.  Louis  had  been,  as  it  were,  founded  by 
the  Western  Commission,  with  the  approval 
and  cooperation  of  the  United  States  Medical 
Director  then  at  the  head  of  that  Department. 
These  hospitals  were  fully  equipped  by  that 
society,  aided  by  abundant  supplies  received 
from  the  East,  and  to  them  the  sick  were  daily 
brought  from  camps  and  post  hospitals.  Thy 
latter,  which  extended  along  the  whole  line  of 
the  late  marches,  were  very  destitute,  and  to  them 
the  United  States  Sanitary  Commission  turned 
its  attention,  supplying  at  once  their  immediate 
wants,  which  were  found  to  be  very  great  in 
deed.  The  system  of  the  Sanitary  Commission, 

*  Although  the  "  United  States  Sanitary  Commission  "  had 
some  reason  to  complain  of  the  manner  in  which  the  "Western 
Sanitary  Commission  "  assumed  its  name,  and  used  advan 
tages  which  belonged  to  it,  yet  nothing  has  ever  influenced  it 
to  hold  back  from  a  warm  acknowledgment  of  the  great  work 
which  the  Western  Commission  has  performed  on  its  own 
field. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  157 

in  the  field,  is  to  give  supplies  in  small  quanti 
ties  as  they  are  needed.  Surgeons  in  the  field 
carry  but  little,  or  they  are  seriously  embar 
rassed.  If  they  have  much  on  hand,  it  must  be 
left  behind  as  the  Army  advances.  Just  as  these 
regiments  were  thus  supplied,  their  needs  began 
to  be  known  abroad,  and  independent  supplies 
came  down  to  them.  At  this  moment  the 
Army  moved,  and  a  great  deal  of  property  was 
therefore  lost,  or  returned  to  its  donors.  But 
the  Sanitary  Commission  had  the  satisfaction 
of  knowing  that  its  supplies,  judiciously  timed 
and  judiciously  measured,  had  not  met  with 
any  such  waste  or  disappointment. 

The  sickness  throughout  the  winter  was  of  a 
depressing  kind,  and  the  mortality  alarming. 
The  inspections  of  the  Commission  show  clearly 
that  this  resulted  from  the  disheartening  in 
fluences  of  retreat,  malarious  camp-sites,  ab 
sence  of  proper  camp  police,  badly  ventilated 
tents,  barracks,  &c.,  &c.  An  entire  revolution, 
however,  took  place  in  the  post  hospitals  at  Tip- 
ton,  Syracuse,  Otterville,  and  Sedalia,  after  the 
arrival  of  the  Commission.  When  the  Army  be 
gan  its  movement  into  the  interior  of  the  State, 
the  agents  of  the  United  States  Commission,  fur 
nished  with  supplies  from  the  Eastern  Branches, 
went  with  it.  They  found  it  necessary  to  take 
precautions  that  those  supplies  should  not  go 
to  places  already  abundantly  provided.  This 
caused  some  special  and  even  laborious  inspec- 


153  THE  UNITED   STATES 

tion  and  work  ;  but  they  were  successful  enough 
to  say,  "We  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
every  article  has  been  placed  by  us  where  it  was 
needed.  To  such  places  as  would  not  other 
wise  have  been  reached,  we  have  during  this 

month   issued   6000    articles We    have 

been  treated  with  the  greatest  courtesy,  our  sug 
gestions  have  been  listened  to,  and,  where  we 
advised,  our  advice  has  been  acted  upon." 


In  Western  Virginia,  that  portion  of  the 
State  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Alleghany 
mountains,  on  the  north  and  west  by  the  free 
States  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  and  on  the 
South  by  the  Kanawha  Valley,  watered  by  the 
river  of  that  name  which  empties  into  the  Ohio, — 
were  many  geographical  and  social  character 
istics  which  allied  it  to  the  North,  and  kept  it 
in  the  commencement  of  the  struggle  from  sym 
pathy  with  secession.  The  people  strove  to 
establish  their  territory  as  a  State,  separated  from 
the  seceded  Old  Dominion.  They  assembled 
at  Wheeling,  and  Union  military  companies 
were  formed  throughout  the  loyal  district,  pre 
pared  to  resist  the  advance  of  troops  in  arms  for 
the  rebellion.  The  first  encounter  took  place  at 
Clarksburg,  —  a  bloodless  opening  to  the  bloody 
history  of  war  upon  the  soil  of  the  grand  old 
State,  whose  hereditary  instincts  should  have 
kept  her  safe  from  joining  in  outrage  upon  her 
country. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  159 

To  sustain  Western  Virginia  in  her  struggle 
of  principle,  the  Army  then  collecting  in  Ohio 
under  General  McClellan  moved  into  her 
borders,  effected  a  junction  with  her  troops  at 
Grafton,  and  then  opened  that  successful  cam 
paign,  which,  in  a  military  point  of  view,  was 
the  first  and  perhaps  the  most  brilliant  glory  of 
our  arms.  Here,  too,  the  Sanitary  Commission 
was  present.  Inspectors  and  supplies  came 
from  the  East  and  the  West.  Its  first  depot  was 
at  Wheeling,  Virginia,  under  charge  of  Dr. 
Griswold ;  and  in  September  every  camp  and 
hospital  in  the  department  (Cheat  Mountain 
excepted)  had  been  inspected,  reported  on,  and 
systematically  supplied,  according  to  their  needs, 
from  the  central  depot  at  Washington,  and  from 
the  branch  depots  at  Cincinnati  and  Cleveland. 
On  the  records  of  the  latter  branch  we  find  how 
the  grateful  acknowledgments  received  for  this 
aid  stimulated  the  work,  and  steadily  increased 
the  interest  of  those  from  whom  it  collected  its 
supplies. 

The  work  performed  by  the  Commission  in 
this  campaign  was  well  done.  It  was  not  upon 
the  scale  of  the  great  relief  whi^h  afterwards 
marched  on,  but  from  the  following  item  it  will 
be  seen  that  its  work  was  responsible  arid  sys 
tematic.  A  despatch  comes  from  General  Rose- 
crans  to  the  quartermaster  at  Wheeling,  to 
prepare  a  hospital  for  500  men.  The  quarter 
master  telegraphs  at  once,  "  Send  on  the  sick  "  ; 


160  THE  UNITED   STATES 

and  then,  without  further  anxiety,  he  turns  over 
the  General's  despatch  to  the  Sanitary  Commis 
sion.  There  was  no  alternative  but  for  the  In 
spector  to  do  his  best.  The  battle  at  Gauley 
was  imminent;  communication  was  cut  off;  and 
duty  to  the  Commanding  General,  as  well  as  to 
humanity,  required  that  every  effort  should  be 
made.  He  went  to  work,  procured  a  building, 
furnished  it,  and  in  three  days  received  his 
patients  into  comfortable  beds,  supplied  them 
well  with  everything  except  sufficient  medical 
care,  (he  was  the  only  available  medical  officer,) 
and,  on  the  second  day  after  their  arrival,  he 
writes,  "  To-night  the  hospital  is  as  cheerful  as 
a  large  hotel." 

The  battle  of  Gauley  Bridge  and  the  defeat 
of  Floyd  by  General  Rosecrans  ended  the  cam 
paign,  and  the  Army  soon  after  went  into  win 
ter  quarters.  Our  troops  continued  to  hold 
Cheat  Mountain,  but  the  greater  part  of  them 
were  sent  under  General  Reynolds  to  Kentucky, 
or  to  service  on  the  Potomac. 


Kentucky,  in  her  efforts  to  withstand  the  tide 
of  disloyalty,  which  disgraced,  alas!  even  her 
noble  manhood,  came  into  the  struggle  of  arms 
first  under  General  Anderson,  and  next  under 
General  Buell. 

If  our  hearts  bleed  as  we  remember  the  tradi 
tions  of  Virginia,  disowned  and  disgraced,  much 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  161 

more  are  they  wrung  by  the  living  anguish  of 
Kentucky.  Son  against  father,  and  father 
against  son, —  perhaps  no  people  have  given  to 
their  country  sacrifices  like  hers. 

Troops  poured  in  to  her  assistance  from  Illi 
nois,  Indiana,  Wisconsin,  Michigan,  Ohio,  and 
the  loyal  districts  of  Tennessee.  Under  Gen 
eral  Buell  they  advanced  in  five  divisions,  each 
with  a  special  purpose,  until  they  concentrated 
on  the  Cumberland  River.  Careful  inspection 
was  made  of  each  division;  supplies  for  the  sick 
and  wounded  reached  them  from  the  Branches 
at  Cleveland,  Columbus,  Cincinnati,  and  De 
troit;  and,  at  the  battle  of  Mill  Spring,  the 
Sanitary  Commission  found  its  appropriate 
work  upon  the  "  dark  and  bloody  ground." 


The  defeat  of  the  enemy  in  Kentucky  opened 
the  way  to  those  combined  expeditions  by  land 
and  water  which  had  been  long  maturing  at  St. 
Louis,  Cairo,  and  Paducah,  under  the  direction 
of  General  Halleck. 

The  enemy  had  striven  to  secure  command 
of  the  Mississippi,  Tennessee,  and  Cumberland 
rivers,  by  the  construction  of  forts  upon  their 
banks.  Of  these,  Columbus  on  the  Mississippi, 
Fort  Donelson  on  the  Tennessee,  and  Fort  Hen 
ry  on  the  Cumberland,  were  the  most  formi 
dable.  The  last  of  these  was  captured  without 
loss  early  in  the  month  of  February,  1862 ;  and 
11 


162  THE   UNITED   STATES 

on  the  15th  of  February,  Fort  Donelson,  after 
a  bloody  resistance,  fell  into  our  hands. 

The  history  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  at 
Fort  Donelson  is  this  :  — 

When  the  news  reached  Cincinnati,  a  steam 
er  was  promptly  transferred  to  the  Commission 
by  General  Buell.  In  two  hours,  three  thousand 
dollars  were  spontaneously  given  to  pay  her  ex 
penses  ;  and  she  started  with  nurses  and  sup 
plies  to  the  relief  of  the  wounded.  At  Louis 
ville,  the  Associate  Secretary  for  the  West,  Dr. 
J.  S.  Newberry,  joined  the  expedition ;  and  this 
relief  was  swelled  by  more  coming  down  from 
other  branches  of  the  Commission  at  Cleveland, 
Chicago,  and  other  points. 

This  was  almost  the  first  field  experience 
of  many  who  were  here  engaged,  but  the  re 
lief  which  they  brought  was  timely  and  well 
given.  The  large  hospital  steamers  were  amply 
equipped  with  stores  from  the  Commission  ; 
the  regimental  surgeons  thronged  to  its  boat 
and  obtained  liberal  supplies;  and  as  each  ves 
sel  left,  loaded  with  wounded,  it  took  with  it 
the  means  of  comfort  for  the  men  on  board. 
The  branch  at  Cincinnati  had  telegraphed  to 
General  Halleck,  expressing  the  desire  to  take 
charge  of  some  of  the  sufferers  at  Fort  Donel 
son.  The  next  morning  the  reply  came,  stating 
that  five  hundred  men  were  on  their  way,  and  en 
joining  upon  the  Commission  (could  that  be  ne 
cessary  ?)  to  treat  friend  and  foe  alike.  A  large 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  163 

five-story  building  was  obtained  and  fitted  up; 
a  second  was  soon  after  required  and  employed 
in  the  same  way.  It  may  here  be  mentioned, 
that,  when  the  war  began,  the  use  of  a  United 
States  Marine  Hospital  in  Cincinnati  had  been 
obtained,  and  it  had  been  furnished,  organized 
and  opened  for  the  reception  of  sick  and  wound 
ed  soldiers.  It  became  so  successful,  that  eventu 
ally  the  Government  adopted  it  for  its  own,  and 
the  money  paid  by  them  for  its  furniture,  &c. 
was  kept  as  a  little  fund  to  meet  the  expenses 
of  disabled  men  endeavoring  to  reach  their 
homes. 

Whilst  the  naval  and  military  forces  were 
assembling  at  Cairo,  an  Associate  Secretary  of 
the  Commission,  Dr.  Douglas,  who  had  been 
employed  in  a  careful  survey  of  the  condition 
and  need  of  the  troops  west  of  the  Mississippi, 
reached  that  city.  He  there  made  to  General  * 
Grant  the  first  suggestion  of  the  floating  hos 
pitals,  destined  afterwards  to  play  an  important 
part  in  the  work  of  relief.  The  Government 
adopted  the  idea,  detailed  the  large  steamer 
"  City  of  Memphis,"  carrying  eight  hundred 
men,  for  that  service ;  and  she  was  equipped, 
or  nearly  so,  by  the  Sanitary  Commission.  In 
her  the  Commission  moved  up  to  Paducah  in 
time  to  assist  the  wounded  from  Fort  Donel- 
son  as  they  came  down  the  river.  Dr.  Douglas 
left  at  Cairo,  in  a  building  given  by  the  com 
mander  of  the  post,  a  depot  well  supplied 


164  THE  UNITED   STATES 

with  every  necessary,  in  charge  of  the  Chicago 
Branch  of  the  Sanitary  Commission. 

This  sketch  may,  perhaps,  have  given  a  gen 
eral  idea  of  the  opening  work  of  the  Sanitary 
Commission  at  the  West.  The  story  must  now 
be  confined  to  a  brief  mention  of  the  leading 
points  of  its  subsequent  work. 

The  fall  of  Fort  Donelson  opened  the  Cum 
berland  River,  first  to  Clarksville  and  then  to 
Nashville,  at  which  point  a  depot  of  the  Com 
mission  was  quickly  established. 

The  enemy  were  everywhere  falling  back  be 
fore  the  advance  of  our  forces  under  Generals 
Grant  and  Buell  and  Admiral  Foote.  Their 
stronghold,  Columbus,  on  the  Mississippi,  was 
first  abandoned ;  then  New  Madrid ;  then  Island 
No.  10 ;  until  they  intrenched  themselves  at  Cor 
inth,  on  the  Northeastern  border  of  Mississippi 
and  Tennessee. 

General  Grant,  able,  under  cover  of  the  gun 
boats,  to  advance  his  army  up  the  Tennessee 
River,  took  possession  of  Savannah,  and  threw 
forward  his  main  body  of  sixty  thousand  men 
to  Pittsburg  Landing,  (an  insignificant  place  of 
some  few  houses  and  a  wharf,  eight  miles  above 
Savannah,)  with  the  view  of  advancing  against 
Corinth.  But  a  portion  of  the  enemy,  under 
General  Johnson,  which  had  retreated  before 
Bueli's  columns  from  Nashville  to  Chattanooga, 
formed  a  skilful  junction  with  the  Army  under 
Beauregard  at  Corinth,  which  marched  out  and 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  165 

gave  battle  to  our  forces  on  the  rolling  plains 
of  Shiloh,  before  Pittsburg  Landing.  Defeated 
and  forced  back  to  the  river  on  the  first  day, 
General  Buell's  timely  reinforcements  enabled 
us  on  the  second  day  to  resume  the  offensive 
and  win  a  victory. 

Battle  of  Shiloh.  —  From  the  depots  at  Cairo 
and  Paducah  and  Savannah,  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission  sent  forward  assistance.  Dr.  Douglas 
and  Dr.  Warriner,  with  a  delegation  and  supplies 
from  the  Chicago  and  other  branches,  went  up 
on  the  transport  "  Louisiana."  As  they  reached 
the  Landing,  they  passed  steamer  after  steamer 
filling  up  with  wounded.  The  wild  confusion 
of  that  scene  cannot  be  expressed ;  the  hurry, 
the  excitement,  and  the  miseries  of  war  all  min 
gled  together  in  that  narrow  space.  Men  and 
munitions  of  war  were  being  landed,  the  wound 
ed  embarked,  and  the  dead  trampled  over  as  of 
no  account  in  that  struggle  for  life.  The  night 
was  spent  by  the  Commission  in  going  from 
boat  to  boat  with  assistance.  Not  a  boat  was 
omitted,  and  the  surgeons  from  the  field,  hearing 
that  the  Commission  was  present,  came  eagerly 
for  help.  On  the  second  day,  fresh  supplies  ar 
rived  from  the  Cincinnati  Branch  of  the  Com 
mission,  in  two  first-class  steamers,  "  The  Ty 
coon  "  and  "  Monarch,"  furnished  with  every 
comfort,  and  with  a  corps  of  surgeons  and 
nurses.  These  boats  discharged  their  stores, 
and  took  in  cargoes  of  wounded  for  the  hos- 


166  THE  UNITED   STATES 

pitals  on  the  Ohio  River.  Other  boats  came  up 
and  did  the  same  service,  —  especially  from  the 
depots  at  Paducah  and  Savannah.  The  Gov 
ernor  of  Ohio  sent  the  noble  steamer  "  Magno 
lia  "  in  charge  of  the  Surgeon-General  of  the 
State,  and  fitted  out  by  the  Sanitary  Commis 
sion  at  Cleveland  and  Columbus.  A  number 
of  other  boats  were  sent  up  from  the  different 
surrounding  States  ;  and  a  fact  mentioned  in 
cidentally  by  the  Associate  Secretary  for  the 
West,  Dr.  Newberry,  who  was  present  on  the 
field,  speaks  so  forcibly  to  a  certain  point,  that 
it  must  be  given  here.  "  We  took  on  board," 
he  says,  "  a  large  number  of  wounded  men, 
who  were  mostly  from  Michigan  regiments,— 
there  being  many  more  from  that  State  requir 
ing  removal  than  from  any  other.  This  was  due 
to  the  fact  that  steamers  sent  from  Ohio,  Illi 
nois,  Indiana,  and  Kentucky  had  taken  away 
the  wounded  of  those  States  nearly  as  fast  as 
they  gathered  there."  How  sad  that  is!  Think 
of  those  poor  Michigan  boys  left  languishing 
and  watching  for  the  Good  Samaritan  to  pass 
their  way!  Had  they  no  sense,  as  they  lay  there 
in  their  blood  shed  for  their  country,  of  the  un 
natural  wickedness  and  selfishness  of  section  ? 
Thank  God  for  the  Sanitary  Commission  at 
that  moment,  if  at  no  other. 

After  the  battle,  the  Commission  established 
a  depot  at  the  landing,  by  invitation  on  board 
the  boat  of  the  Medical  Purveyor.  From  the 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  167 

25th  of  May  to  the  1st  of  July  the  stores  issued 
from  this  depot  amounted  in  all  to  160,143  arti 
cles,  of  which  the  following  are  items: —  Shirts, 
11,448;  drawers,  3686;  socks,  3592;  bedsacks, 
2777;  pillows,  5434;  brandy,  whisky,  wine, 
1045  bottles;  ale,  799  bottles;  lemons,  941; 
dried  fruits,  20,316  Ibs. ;  canned  fruit,  5770  cans  ; 
farinaceous  food,  15,323  Ibs.  During  the  period 
that  this  depot  was  kept  open,  a  great  service 
was  rendered  to  the  Sanitary  Commission  by 
two  women  who  volunteered  for  the  work,  and 
to  whom  its  thanks  are  due.* 

After  the  battle,  both  armies  were  reinforced ; 
General  Pope  came  up  from  the  Mississippi,  and 
we  advanced  to  invest  Corinth  by  Monterey, 
Farmington,  and  Hamburgh.  At  these  places 
large  general  hospitals  were  established:  those 
at  Monterey  for  the  troops  of  General  Grant; 
those  at  Farmington  for  those  of  Pope, —  Gen 
eral  Buell's  hospitals  being  nearest  to  the  front. 
This  is  the  true  principle  of  the  hospital  system, 
— to  establish  large  receiving  hospitals  in  the  rear 
of  an  army,  and  then,  as  the  men  become  con 
valescent,  they  are  easily  returned  to  duty,  and 
they  are  also  more  willing  to  go.  To  promote  the 
establishment  of  such  hospitals,  the  Associate 
Secretary  of  the  Commission  already  named 
(Dr.  Douglas)  presented  a  plan  to  the  Medical 
Director  of  the  Army,  which  was  immediately 

*  One  of  whom  is  familiarly  known  among  the  soldiers  as 
"  The  Cairo  Angel." 


168  THE   UNITED   STATES 

adopted  in  the  construction  of  the  hospital  of 
General  Buell's  division.  The  plan  was  "  sim 
ple  but  ingenious,"  and  consisted  of  a  frame- 
work  made  of  trees,  the  roof  covered  with  tar 
paulins,  (of  which  there  happened  to  be  four 
hundred  lying  unused  at  the  commissary's,)  and 
the  sides  made  of  old  tent  canvas,  which  by  a 
simple  arrangement  were  drawn  up  during  the 
day.  These  buildings  were  a  great  success ; 
for,  from  their  size,  perfect  ventilation,  (being 
opened  at  the  sides  and  ends  at  will,)  and  from 
the  cleanliness  of  the  beds  and  the  abundance 
of  clothing  on  hand,  they  proved  to  be  the  best 
form  of  hospital,  in  such  a  climate,  during  the 
warm  months  of  summer.  This  hospital,  con 
taining  1500  beds,  and  the  other  general  and 
corps  hospitals,  received  what  assistance  they 
needed  from  the  supplies  of  the  Commission  on 
a  liberal  scale.  In  addition  to  these  issues,  regi 
mental  hospitals  were  supplied  at  the  rate  of 
fifteen  hospitals  a  day. 

Another  suggestion,  made  by  Dr.  Douglas  at 
the  time,  has  since  been  adopted  throughout  the 
Army,  East  and  West.  It  was  that  of  cooking- 
caldrons,  made  upon  the  plan  of  those  used  on 
farms  for  boiling  the  food  of  cattle.  Some  were 
to  be  put  on  wheels,  so  that,  in  the  event  of  a 
battle,  they  might  be  taken  to  the  field,  and  soup 
prepared  and  served  to  the  wounded  and  ex 
hausted.  This  idea  has  also  been  adopted. 

Perhaps  at  no  time  in  the  history  of  our  ar- 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  169 

mies  has  such  wise  and  thoughtful  care  been 
taken  by  the  medical  officers,  in  anticipation  of 
sickness  and  battle.  To  the  Medical  Director 
of  that  Army,  Dr.  McDougall,  the  praise  for  this 
is  chiefly  due. 

At  this  point  the  armies  rested  for  a  while. 
The  Sanitary  Commission  established  a  depot 
at  Hamburgh,  and  soon  after  at  Corinth  ;  and 
then  Dr.  Douglas  returned  to  Cairo  to  watch 
for  the  opening  of  the  Mississippi  down  to  Mem 
phis,  where  a  depot  was  established  so  soon  as 
that  city  fell  into  our  hands. 


From  this  point  the  writer  feels  so  incapable 
of  indicating,  \vith  any  justice,  the  work  of  the 
Commission  at  the  West,  that  several  months 
will  here  be  passed  over  in  silence,  —  months  of 
steady  and  systematic  work,  such  as  the  history 
of  the  Commission  already  given  may  partially 
illustrate.  The  personal  service  of  the  Commis 
sion  agents  must  not,  however,  pass  unrecorded. 
Life  and  health  were  sacrificed,  hardships  en 
dured,  and  dangers  braved  by  them.  No  money 
could  have  bought  such  services  as  these  men 
gave.  Through  them  we  measure,  from  one 
point  of  view,  the  value  of  our  Nation  in  the 
hearts  of  her  sons. 

The  only  point  on  which  the  narrative  will 
touch  during  several  ensuing  months,  will  be 
the  work  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  after  the 


170  THE  UNITED   STATES 

battle  of  Perry  ville  ;  stating  merely  that,  through 
out  the  summer,  the  wise  and  faithful  Inspector 
of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  (Dr.  H.  A.  War- 
riner,  whose  wife  had  already  laid  down  her  life 
in  the  cause)  had,  with  unceasing  energy,  thrown 
forward  ample  stores  in  a  circle  round  the  cen 
tral  points  of  the  Army  at  Corinth,  Memphis, 
Jackson,  Hamburgh,  &c.  On  the  other  side, 
Dr.  Read,  Sanitary  Commission  Inspector  for  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland,  then  under  General 
Buell,  was  preparing  for  the  work  which  was 
about  to  cry  out  for  hands  to  do  it.  When  the 
news  of  the  battle  of  Perryville  reached  Louis 
ville,  three  wagons  and  twenty-one  ambulances 
started  with  supplies  from  the  Commission  ;  but 
when  the  Inspector  reached  the  field,  he  found 
that  there  had  been  almost  no  preparation  for 
the  care  of  the  wounded,  and,  as  a  consequence, 
that  the  suffering  for  want  of  help  of  all  kinds,  as 
well  as  for  proper  accommodations,  food,  medi 
cines,  and  hospital  stores,  was  excessive.  For 
this  state  of  things,  however,  the  surgeons  were 
not  to  blame.  Both  those  in  authority  and  those 
in  attendance  were  doing  all  in  their  power  to 
mitigate  the  suffering  which  prevailed.  The 
Sanitary  Commission  at  once  established  its 
quarters  near  the  field.  The  ambulances  and 
the  wagons  arrived,  loaded  with  stores,  and  at 
tended  by  several  efficient  agents.  Surgeons 
were  notified  that  stores  could  be  had,  and  the 
work  of  issuing  them  was  rapidly  carried  on. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  171 

There  were  at  this  time,  in  and  around  Perry- 
ville,  Danville,  and  Harrodsburg,  3000  wounded 
men,  and  more  were  coming  in.  They  were  all 
very  dirty,  lying  in  their  bloody  clothing;  few 
had  straw  or  other  bedding,  some  were  without 
blankets,  others  had  no  sheets ;  and  some  whose 
wounds  had  not  been  dressed  were  brought  in, 
five  days  after  the  battle,  from  places  of  tem 
porary  shelter.  The  surgeons  were  laboring 
with  their  usual  devotion ;  but  they  were  short- 
handed,  overworked  and  had  little  to  work  with. 
Leaving  agents  to  attend  to  the  wants  at  Perry- 
ville,  the  Inspector,  Dr.  Read,  went  forward  to 
Danville.  Here  the  wants  of  the  sufferers  were 
as  urgent  as  at  Perryville,  —  more  so  perhaps. 
The  Court-house  was  literally  packed  ;  —  many 
had  eaten  nothing  during  the  day.  The  In 
spector  asked  if  soup  could  be  made.  The  sur 
geons  feared  not,  but  gladly  gave  him  permission 
to  make  it  if  he  could.  Some  Union  men  in 
the  place  assisted  him.  It  wras  nearly  evening; 
there  was  no  beef,  but  a  man  offered  to  shoot  a 
bullock  and  have  it  ready  in  two  hours.  There 
was  no  water,  —  the  wells  wrere  all  dry;  but  the 
same  good  man  hauled  water  in  barrels  from  a 
distance.  Then  there  were  no  kettles  to  be  had, 
—  the  rebels  had  taken  them  all  ;  but  at  last 
one  was  found  in  a  private  family,  and  another 
was  discovered  two  miles  out  of  the  town,  owned 
by  a  man  who  sent  it  in,  saying  he  should  not 
want  it  till  hog-killing  time.  Finally,  no  pails 


172  THE  UNITED   STATES 

were  to  be  had,  for  love  or  money ;  and  how  was 
the  soup,  when  made  under  all  these  savage  dif 
ficulties,  to  be  distributed  without  them  ?  But, 
by  good  luck,  covered  firkins  with  handles,  also 
a  wash-tub,  were  to  be  bought  in  a  shop ;  and  at 
last  the  Inspector,  rejoicing  in  everything,  dig 
ging  the  trench  and  laying  the  stones  with  his 
own  hands,  set  both  the  precious  kettles  over  a 
fire  made  of  old  boards  picked  up  in  the  Court 
house  yard,  and,  by  ten  o'clock  at  night,  dis 
tributed  sixty-five  gallons  of  good  soup  to  the 
exhausted  and  starving  men.  Not  that  he  did 
this  last  himself,  poor  fellow;  for,  by  the  time 
the  soup  had  triumphed  over  its  difficulties,  it 
need  scarcely  be  said  that  he  was  utterly  ex 
hausted.  As  many  of  the  wounded  were  with 
out  shelter,  the  Inspector  looked  about  for  some 
place  where  they  might  at  least  have  a  roof  over 
their  heads.  A  carriage-shop  was  found  ;  the 
owner,  with  ready  kindness,  removed  the  car 
riages  ;  and  there,  on  two  loads  of  straw  which 
the  Inspector  had  hastily  procured,  two  hundred 
men  found  rest  and  shelter. 

Returning  to  Perry ville,  he  had  the  great  satis 
faction  of  finding  the  condition  of  the  wounded 
much  improved,  thanks  to  the  untiring  exer 
tions  of  the  surgeons  in  charge,  and  to  the  stores 
of  the  Sanitary  Commission.  Up  to  this  time 
no  medical  stores  of  any  kind  had  been  received 
from  Government ;  none  were  on  the  ground  ex 
cept  those  of  the  Commission.  Ten  tons  more 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  173 

of  supplies,  in  five  large  wagons,  arrived  soon 
afterwards  from  the  storehouse  of  the  Commis 
sion  at  Louisville.  The  Confederate  prisoners 
were  mostly  in  hospital  at  Harrodsburg,  where 
such  aid  as  was  really  required  was  sent  forward 
by  the  Commission.  A  number  of  them  had 
been  taken  into  private  families,  and  those  in 
hospital  were,  to  a  certain  extent,  receiving  aid 
from  the  secession  citizens  of  Harrodsburg  and 
Lexington.  Several  of  these  prisoners  wore 
clothing  taken  from  the  Federal  troops,  and 
some  complaint  was  made  that,  in  certain  in 
stances,  this  had  been  done  forcibly.  One  bright 
young  fellow,  with  a  good  coat  of  his  own  and 
a  United  States  overcoat  under  his  head,  was 
asked  to  say  where  he  got  the  latter.  He  an 
swered  promptly  that  he  came  honestly  by  it ; 
and  said,  further,  that  when  he  was  lying 
wounded  on  the  battle-held,  a  cold  rain  had 
come  on,  and  a  Federal  soldier  coming  up  to 
him  asked  him  some  questions,  and,  seeing  how 
much  he  suffered,  took  off  his  coat  and  put  it 
over  him.  "  I  shall  never  shoot  that  man,"  said 
he,  as  he  finished  his  story. 

The  destitute  and  comfortless  condition  of 
the  wounded  at  all  these  points  may,  perhaps, 
be  guessed  from  such  details  as  the  following  : 
-Hospital  No.  1. —  A  church;  seventy-eight 
patients  lying  on  the  floor  and  benches,  on  a 
moderate  supply  of  straw  ;  no  bed-sacks,  no 
pillows,  several  without  blankets  ;  no  change 


174  THE  UNITED   STATES 

of  clothing;  cooking  done  in  three  little  kettles 
out  of  doors.  No.  2. —  A  church  ;  eighty -five 
men  lying  on  a  little  straw  ;  some  lying  together 
to  make  one  blanket  cover  two ;  no  bedding  nor 
change  of  clothing  ;  cooking  done  in  one  kettle 
and  a  stewpan.  And  so  on  through  the  whole 
list.  This  will  show  the  terrible  necessity  for 
all  kinds  of  hospital  furniture,  not  to  speak  of 
supplies  and  stores  for  the  men.  A  little  inci 
dent  occurred  in  one  of  these  hospitals  which 
is  worth  relating  here.  The  Wisconsin  State 
Agents  were  distributing  relief  to  the  Wiscon 
sin  boys  only.  One  of  them,  lying  seriously 
wounded,  received  some  of  it,  but  he  afterwards 
said,  "  1  did  n't  like  it  ;  it  made  me  feel  bad 
to  have  things  given  to  me  and  not  to  the  boy 
lying  next  to  me.  Bat  I  made  it  all  right, 
for  I  divided  with  him." 

So  soon  as  the  sick  in  all  these  hospitals,  at 
Perry ville,  Danville,  and  elsewhere  in  the  vicinity, 
were  able  to  bear  the  journey,  they  were  sent  off 
to  the  large  cities.  Lebanon  was  the  first  railroad 
point  from  the  battle-ground  (from  Danville  it 
was  twenty  miles),  and  it  became  the  rendez 
vous  for  the  poor  fellows.  It  was  from  here, 
and  at  this  time,  that  the  Hospital  Cars  of  the 
Sanitary  Commission  commenced  their  Western 
service.  An  account  of  the  Commission  upon 
this  field  cannot  be  closed  without  alluding  to 
the  hearty  appreciation  which  it  called  forth 
from  army  officers,  who  seem  to  have  taken 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  175 

pains  to  bring  before  the  Commission  and  the 
public  their  sense  of  the  benefits  they  had  re 
ceived.  A  few  of  their  letters  are  printed  here  : 

"DEAR  SIR: 

"  Permit  me  through  you  to  acknowledge 
my  obligations  to  the  United  States  Sanitary 
Commission  for  the  very  efficient  aid  which  it 
has  rendered  to  me,  in  furnishing  supplies  for 
the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  under  my  charge, 
at  a  time  when  they  could  not  be  obtained 
through  any  other  source.  When  the  hospitals 
were  first  established  in  this  district,  we  were 
almost  entirely  destitute  of  hospital  and  medical 
supplies,  including  almost  every  article  for  the 
comfort  of  the  sick.  With  an  unusually  large 
number  of  sick  and  wounded  on  our  hands,  we 
were  compelled  to  see  them  suffer,  without  the 
proper  means  of  affording  them  relief. 

"  The  condition  of  things  was  immediately 
telegraphed  to  the  Medical  Purveyor  in  Louis 
ville,  and  that  officer,  with  his  usual  promptness, 
at  once  furnished  everything  necessary  to  ren 
der  our  sick  comfortable  ;  but  from  some  cause 
the  supplies  were  detained  several  weeks  on 
the  road,  arid  were  not  received  until  long  after 
those  arrived  that  were  sent  by  the  Sanitary 
Commission. 

"  Considering  the  large  number  of  the  sick 
and  wounded  in  the  district  (between  six  and 
seven  thousand),  and  the  almost  total  absence 


176  THE   UNITED   STATES 

of  everything  necessary  to  make  them  comforta 
ble,  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  timely  aid  afforded 
by  the  Commission  in  this  single  instance  has 
been  the  means  of  preventing  much  suffering, 
as  well  as  of  saving  many  valuable  lives. 

"  I  trust  that  the  Commission  will  be  able  to 
continue  in  its  good  work,  and  that  it  may 
have,  as  it  certainly  deserves,  the  thanks  of 
every  friend  of  humanity. 

"  I  am,  clear  sir,  very  respectfully, 

"  GEO.  G.  SHUMARD,  Surg.  U.  S.  A., 

"  Medical  Director  Danville  District" 

"  To  DR.  J.  S.  NEWBERY. 

"SiR:  —  It  is  but  just  to  the  United  States 
Sanitary  Commission  to  say  that  the  aid  they 
have  rendered  to  the  wounded  in  the  battle  of 
Chaplin  Hills  has  been  indispensable.  No  one 
but  an  eye-witness  can  estimate  the  great  ad 
vantage  their  supplies  have  been  to  the  wound 
ed.  When  the  Government  supplies  shipped  to 
us  were  detained  in  Bardstown  and  other  places 
several  weeks,  theirs,  by  extraordinary  efforts, 
were  put  promptly  through,  and  came  to  our 
aid  when  we  were  perfectly  destitute. 

"A  large  proportion  of  the  wounded  coming 
from  the  battle-field  were  stripped  of  their  cloth 
ing.  The  bedding,  clothing,  and  dressings  fur 
nished  by  the  Commission  were  of  inestimable 
advantage.  Considering  the  great  help  rendered 
by  this  Commission,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  177 

people  will  be  stimulated  to  greater  efforts  to 
aid  them  in  their  benevolent  mission. 
"  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 
"  JAMES   G.  HATCHETT, 

"  Surgeon  U.  S.  Volunteers, 
"  In  charge  of  Hospitals  at  Perryville." 


"  HEAD-QUARTERS  THIRD  DIVISION, 
"TWENTIETH  ARMY  CORPS. 

"  To  DR.  CASTLEMAN, 

"  Inspector  United  States  Sanitary  Commission. 

"  SIR  : —  Allow  me  through  you  to  return  the 
sincere  thanks  of  the  medical  officers  of  this 
division  to  the  United  States  Sanitary  Com 
mission,  for  their  uniform  promptness  and  at 
tention  to  the  wants  of  the  sick  and  wounded 
soldiers. 

"  It  has  been  my  lot  to  be  with  this  division 
as  medical  director  through  two  hard-fought  bat 
tles  (Perryville  and  Stone's  River),  where  we  had 
many  wounded  men,  with  only  limited  means 
of  ministering  to  their  comfort.  Consequently, 
I  have  had  a  good  opportunity  to  judge  of  the 
efficiency  of  your  organization,  and  the  benefits 

derived  from  it To  it  we  are  indebted 

also  for  many  valuable  suggestions  which  have 
added  much  to  the  comfort  of  camp-life. 

"  With  the  most  sincere  hope  that  the  Com 
mission  may  receive  the  continued  support  it 
deserves,  I  am, 

"  Very  respectfully, 
"  D.  V.  GRIFFITH,  Medical  Director" 
12 


178  THE  UNITED   STATES 

"  HEAD-QUARTERS  THIRD  DIVISION, 
"  TWENTIETH  ARMY  CORPS, 

"  Murfreesboro,  May  4,  1863. 

"  I  take  great  pleasure  in  indorsing  every 
word  of  the  within  letter,  and  desire  to  return, 
through  the  Medical  Inspector,  my  sincere 
thanks  to  the  United  States  Sanitary  Cora- 
mission,  for  their  almost  invaluable  services  to 
my  wounded  men  at  Perryville  and  Stone's 
River.  J.  H.  SHERIDAN,  Major  General" 

Early  in  May,  1863,  the  Army  of  the  Tennes 
see  leaving  its  base  of  supplies,  and  carrying  al 
most  nothing  but  its  munitions  of  war,  struck 
out  boldly  into  the  heart  of  the  enemy's  coun 
try.  After  a  rapid  march  upon  the  capital  of 
Mississippi,  it  turned  westward,  and  by  a  series 
of  battles,  each  one  of  which  was  crowned  with 
success,  closed  its  victorious  columns  upon  the 
rebel  stronghold  which  had  so  long  sealed  the 
navigation  of  the  great  river.  Letters  and  re 
ports  from  Dr.  Warriner,  Inspector  of  the  Sani 
tary  Commission,  whose  duty  lay  with  the  march 
of  this  Army,  came  up  from  every  advanced  point 
gained  upon  the  Mississippi,  from  Bolivar,  Co 
lumbus,  Young's  Point,  Haines's  Bluff,  Milliken's 
Bend,  and  at  last  Yazoo  River,  near  Vicksburg. 
As  the  Army  advanced  it  accumulated  its  sick 
and  wounded,  until  an  estimate  made  June  5th 
placed  the  amount  at  5300.  The  Medical  Direc 
tor  at  Memphis  speaks  with  enthusiasm  of  the 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  179 

manner  in  which  the  men  rallied  from  the  de 
pressing  influence  of  wounds  and  amputations. 
This  could  not  be  attributed  to  the  effect  of 
climate,  which  was  clearly  becoming  more  and 
more  adverse  to  it.  There  is  no  doubt  that  it 
resulted  from  a  change  of  diet,  procured  for  the 
Army,  in  a  great  measure,  by  the  exertions  of 
the  Sanitary  Commission. 

In  the  Spring  an  urgent  call  had  been  made 
for  vegetables ;  and  it  was  stated  that  many 
wounds,  which,  in  a  healthy  condition  of  the 
system,  were  unattended  with  danger,  would,  in 
the  present  condition  of  the  men,  (scurvy  hav 
ing  appeared,)  prove  fatal.  Mention  of  this  mat- 
ter  will  be  made  further  on ;  but  it  may  be  said 
here,  that  the  remarkably  healthy  condition  of 
the  sick  around  Vicksburg  is  largely  owing  to 
the  avalanche  of  vegetables  with  which  the 
Sanitary  Commission  had  supplied  the  Army 
of  the  Tennessee. 

In  March,  1863,  General  Grant  issued  a  spe 
cial  order  requiring  the  quartermaster's  depart 
ment  to  provide  a  suitable  steamboat,  to  be 
called  "  The  United  States  Sanitary  Store 
Boat,"  and  to  put  the  same  in  charge  of  the 

United  States  Sanitary  Commission,  to  be  used 
exclusively  for  the  conveyance  of  goods  calcu 
lated  to  prevent  disease,  and  supplemental  to 
the  Government  supply  of  stores  for  the  relief 
of  the  sick  and  wounded.  With  this  boat, 

4  The  Dunleith,"  loading  with  stores  at  Cincin- 


180  THE  UNITED   STATES 

nati,  Louisville,  and  Cairo,  Dr.  Warriner  was 
able  to  throw  forward  his  supplies  at  will,  pre 
ceding  and  following  them  with  his  duties  of 
inspection.  The  sick  along  the  line,  at  Helena, 
Memphis,  Jackson,  Lagrange,  Corinth,  &c.,  &c., 
all  were  reached  by  her  supplies.  Sometimes  the 
stores  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  were  in 
creased  by  gifts  from  the  "  Western  Sanitary 
Commission " ;  and  at  one  time,  by  order  of 
General  Grant,  one  hundred  tons  of  Govern 
ment  ice  were  turned  over  to  it  for  distribution, 
—  a  wayside  compliment  which  was  appreciated. 
The  supplies  which  it  issued  to  the  Army  before 
Vicksburg  during  the  months  of  May  and  June, 
were  as  follows  :  —  Quilts,  1504  ;  pillows,  2220  ; 
sheets,  1840 ;  drawers,  5376  ;  towels,  &c.,  7484 ; 
farina,  &c.,  266  Ibs. ;  sago,  &c.,  1044  Ibs. ;  bed- 
sacks,  758;  pillow-cases,  2830;  shirts,  7909; 
dressing-gowns,  422 ;  socks,  2453  pairs ;  slip 
pers,  1190  pairs ;  corn  starch,  275  Ibs. ;  cloths 
and  bandages,  50  bbls. ;  fruit,  5114  cans ;  con 
centrated  beef,  771  cans ;  dried  fruit,  16,430 
Ibs. ;  dried  beef,  888  Ibs. ;  groceries,  1882  Ibs. ; 
wines  and  liquors,  1979  bottles;  butter,  3557 
Ibs. ;  apple-butter,  30  gallons  ;  eggs,  2401  doz. ; 
pickles,  2376  gallons ;  molasses,  85  gallons ; 
sour  krout,  1532  gallons  ;  potatoes,  5762  bush 
els  ;  ale  and  cider,  1031  gallons ;  ice,  27,367 
Ibs.;  crackers,  6898  Ibs.;  codfish,  6777  Ibs.; 
cornmeal,  2485  Ibs. ;  tea,  532  Ibs. ;  pickles,  301 
bottles;  lemons,  13,200  ;  hospital  furniture,  1747 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  181 

articles ;  fans,  2347 ;  crutches,  65  pairs ;  cots 
and  mattresses,  199  ;  spices,  2006  papers ;  qui 
nine,  200  oz. 

When  the  great  stronghold  of  Vicksburg  fell 
into  our  hands,  early  in  July,  1863,  a  portion  of 
our  Army  moved,  at  full  speed,  in  pursuit  of  the 
enemy,  leaving  behind  them  their  sick  and 
wounded,  swelled  by  a  large  number  of  the 
rebel  sick.  The  latter  were  in  a  state  of  great 
destitution.  They  made  beseeching  appeals  to 
the  Sanitary  Commission  which  were  regarded. 
One  of  the  best  Government  Surgeons  was  put 
in  charge  of  their  hospitals,  and  requisitions 
made  for  them  at  the  North  were  not  made  in 
vain.  As  soon  as  it  could  be  done  with  safety, 
the  sick  and  wounded  of  both  armies  were  sent 
away  in  special  transports,  —  ours  up  the  river  to 
Northern  hospitals,  and  theirs  down  the  river  to 
their  own  homes.  In  one  month  after  the  sur 
render  of  Vicksburg,  everything  was  going  on 
as  well  as  could  be  reasonably  expected  ;  and 
it  is  a  satisfaction  to  know  from  authority  of 
the  highest  kind,  that  the  services  of  the  Sani 
tary  Commission  in  leading  to  this  result  were 
well  appreciated. 

A  general  quiet  prevailed  in  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee  after  the  capture  of  Vicksburg,  but 
the  means  of  the  Commission  were  fully  em 
ployed  in  supplying  the  wants  of  a  large  and 
increasing  number  of  sick  (multiplying  by  the 
advance  of  the  season)  in  every  corps  of  Gen- 


182  THE  UNITED   STATES 

eral  Grant's  Army.  The  great  privileges  granted 
to  the  Commission  by  the  Commanding  Gen 
eral  have  opened  wider,  and  still  wider,  doors  of 
usefulness,  so  that  the  distributions  at  Mem 
phis,  Helena,  and  Vicksburg  have  been  greater 
than  ever  before.  It  will  give  a  strong  picture 
of  the  work  done  and  the  hardships  endured  in 
that  fearful  climate,  when  we  state  that  there  is 
not  a  single  agent  of  the  Commission  with  that 
Army  who  has  not  been  sooner  or  later  pros 
trated  by  disease ;  there  is  not  one  of  them  who 
is  not  now  performing  his  duty  at  the  peril  of 
life  or  health.  The  sickness  at  Vicksburg  has 
been  steadily  on  the  increase.  The  autumn 
months  of  that  climate  are  cursed  with  mala 
rious  fever  and  dysentery,  which  have  assumed 
of  late  a  malignant  form.  Yet,  God  be  thanked, 
yellow  fever  has  not  appeared,  —  wonderful  and 
blessed  fact  that,  West  or  South,  it  has  not  ap 
peared  !  It  would  seem  as  though  this  mighty 
scourge  of  earth  felt  eclipsed  and  put  aside  by 
the  mightier  scourge  of  War,  not  daring,  or  not 
needed  to  make  a  "  holiday  in  hell." 

From  Vicksburg  and  the  Mississippi  River 
supplies  have  been  thrown  forward  to  many 
points.  Boats  have  been  sent  to  General  Steele's 
advance  on  the  White  River,  in  Arkansas,  and, 
for  some  time  past,  liberal  supplies,  under  the 
charge  of  Mr.  J.  R.  Brown,  Inspector  and  Relief 
Agent,  have  gone  forward  into  Kansas.  The 
troops  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Fort  Scott,  and 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  183 

other  points  in  the  Indian  Territory,  have  been  so 
situated  as  to  be  cut  off  from  Government  sup 
plies,  and  urgent  appeals  were  made  to  the  Sani 
tary  Commission  in  their  behalf.  Mr.  Brown 
and  his  companion,  Dr.  C.  C.  Slocum,  have  been 
indefatigable  in  their  efforts  to  reach  even  the 
most  distant  frontier  with  a  train  of  supplies. 

On  the  opening  of  the  Mississippi,  an  agent 
of  the  Western  Department  of  the  U.  S.  Sani 
tary  Commission,  Dr.  Fithian,  was  despatched 
to  Port  Hudson,  meeting  there  the  agents  of  the 
Eastern  Department,  who  were,  at  that  time, 
amply  furnished  with  stores  and  assistance.  Dr. 
Warriner  has  lately  sent  down  fresh  supplies, 
and  is  cooperating  with  those  already  stationed 
there  for  the  expedition  now  preparing  under 
General  Banks. 

Thus  has  the  Sanitary  Commission  thrown 
out  her  arms  until  the  "  white  hands  of  heal 
ing"  meet  and  clasp  around  the  whole  palpitat 
ing  mass  of  human  suffering  in  the  National 
Army. 

We  will  now  turn  back  to  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland.  The  work  here  has  been  under 
the  immediate  supervision  of  Dr.  A.  N.  Read,  a 
veteran  Inspector,  whose  efforts  for  months  and 
years  have  been  characterized  by  energy  and 
wisdom.  He  is  ably  seconded  by  Dr.  Castle- 
man  and  others. 

In  no  department  of  the  whole  Army  has  the 


184  THE  UNITED   STATES 

work  been  more  thoroughly  and  systematically 
performed.  The  praise,  however,  must  not  be 
allowed  to  rest  on  the  Commission  alone ;  it 
must  be  given  also  to  the  military  and  medical 
authorities,  all  of  whom,  from  the  Commanding 
General  down,  have  steadily  and  cordially  co 
operated  ;  not  only  granting  cheerfully  all  reason 
able  requests,  but  often  spontaneously  offering 
aid  which  the  Commission  was  about  to  need. 

In  the  Spring  of  1863,  as  we  have  said,  the 
great  need  of  fresh  vegetables  for  the  armies 
of  those  regions  began  to  appear,  in  the  silent 
warning  of  here  and  there  a  case  of  scurvy. 
The  United  States  Medical  Inspector  of  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland  was  early  aware  of 
the  fact,  and  of  the  great  deficiency  in  the 
supply.  The  matter  was  seriously  announced 
by  the  directors  of  several  army  corps ;  and  the 
Medical  Inspector,  on  his  return  to  Nashville, 
brought  the  subject  in  its  magnitude  before  the 
Sanitary  Commission,  which  had,  however, 
already  done  something  in  that  direction.  Under 
the  supervision  of  Dr.  Read,  large  shipments  of 
vegetables  to  the  Army  of  General  Rosecrans 
were  promptly  made  by  boat  and  railroad  ;  and, 
by  order  of  that  General,  hospital  gardens  of 
forty  acres  were  planted  at  Nashville  and  at 
Murfreesboro,  under  the  care  of  the  Sanitary 
Commission,  to  be  in  readiness  for  the  season 
when  the  supplies  from  the  North  should  fail. 
The  gardens  at  Murfreesboro  furnished,  up  to 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  185 

August  30th,  248  barrels  of  assorted  vegetables, 
and  the  gardener  estimated  that  during  the  re 
mainder  of  the  season  it  would  yield  about 
800  bushels  of  tomatoes;  1200  bushels  of  Irish 
potatoes;  1200  bushels  of  sweet  potatoes;  25,000 
heads  of  cabbage  ;  besides  large  quantities  of 
beans,  melons,  turnips,  &c.  Meantime  the  ship 
ments  made  by  the  Commission  to  the  Army  of 
the  Tennessee  and  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumber 
land,  amounted  to  more  than  6000  barrels  of 
assorted  vegetables.  Thanks  to  this  care,  the 
scurvy  disappeared.  This  feature  of  the  work 
called  forth  hearty  thanks  and  appreciation.  It 
was  detailed  in  the  official  report  of  the  Medi 
cal  Inspector  to  General  E/osecrans  ;  and  a  re 
quest  for  the  publication  of  a  portion  of  the 
report  called  out  the  following  letter  from  the 
Medical  Inspector  :  — 

"DEAR  SIR:  — 

"  Since  it  meets  the  approval  of  General  Rose- 
crans,  I  am  very  willing  to  allow  you  to  make 
such  extracts  from  my  report  as  had  special 
reference  to  the  Sanitary  Commission.  As  you 
have  read  my  report,  you  need  not  be  informed 
of  my  opinion  of  the  necessity  of  your  work. 
I  am  scarcely  able  to  give  it  the  prominence  it 
deserves. 

"  It  is  to  this  Army  what  I  have  found  it  to  be 
everywhere  in  the  armies  of  the  United  States  : 
one  of  its  most  important  means  of  support, 


186  THE  UNITED  STATES 

and  without  which  its  efficiency  would  be 
greatly  diminished.  No  one  who  has  watched 
its  work  in  the  field,  in  the  general  hospitals,  on 
the  road  toward  home  of  discharged  and  dis 
abled  soldiers,  but  will  agree  with  me  in  saying 
that  it  is  doing  a  vast  deal,  both  in  the  cause  of 
our  country  and  in  the  cause  of  humanity;  and 
so  long  as  the  nation  sends  its  soldiers  to  the 
field,  the  Sanitary  Commission  must  continue 
its  work.  The  agents,  so  far  as  I  have  seen 
them,  are  intelligent,  faithful,  and  zealous,  and 
the  public  has  nothing  to  fear  in  trusting  to  them 
its  gifts. 

"  Would  to  God  that  every  one  at  the  North 
could  see  and  understand  as  well  as  we  do  the 
value  and  necessity  of  the  work. 

"  Very  respectfully  yours, 
"  FRANK  H.  HAMILTON, 

"  Medical  Inspector,  U.  S.  A." 

It  was  computed  and  said  at  the  time,  that 
one  shipment  of  vegetables  from  Pittsburg 
alone  had  done  more  to  increase  the  effective 
fighting  strength  of  the  Army  than  would  have 
been  done  by  raising  a  full  regiment  of  new 
recruits. 

In  looking  through  the  records  of  the  first  six 
months  of  1863,  we  find  the  old  story  of  current 
supply  —  grown  almost  monotonous  to  us  in 
the  telling.  Sketches  of  the  "  Homes"  and  the 
"  Hospital  Directory  "  come  in  like  little  golden 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  187 

arabesques  to  vivify  the  sober  background  of 
quiet  mercy,  and,  here  and  there,  we  fall  upon 
some  blessed  words  of  appreciation,  which  have 
done  more  to  strengthen  and  support  the  Sani 
tary  Commission  than  can  ever  be  known  or 
told.  Can  we  measure  the  life  and  strength 
given  by  such  words  as  these,  taken  at  random  : 
"  Your  liberal  shipment  received  ;  it  will  da 
more  good  than  shipments  from  the  Purveyor, 

for  it  meets  our  need The  benefit  and 

good  done  by  the  Sanitary  Commission  has 
never  been  acknowledged.  I  hope  I  may  live 
to  see  it.  J.  R.  BLACK, 

"  Medical  Director" 


"MEDICAL  DIRECTOR'S  OFFICE, 
"DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  CUMBERLAND, 

"Nashville,  Tenn. 
"  To  DR.  NEWBERRY. 

"  SIR  : —  I  understand  that  it  is  your  intention 
to  organize  another  Sanitary  train  for  the  trans 
portation  of  the  sick  and  wounded.  I  sincerely 
hope  you  may,  for  experience  has  shown  me 
that  the  first  was  of  the  greatest  benefit  to  the 
sick  and  wounded.  The  rapid  transportation, 
the  care  exercised  over  the  patients,  and  the  com 
petent  attendants  sent  with  each  train  have,  I 
am  convinced,  been  the  means  of  saving  many 
lives.  I,  personally,  as  well  as  the  sick  and 
wounded  soldiers,  am  under  many  obligations 
to  the  Sanitary  Commission  ;  but  in  my  opinion 


188  THE  UNITED   STATES 

the  ;  Sanitary  train  '  does  more  than  aught  else 
for  the  comfort  of  the  sick.* 

"  A.  HENRY  THURSTON, 
"Asst.  Med.  Director  Department  Cumberland?- 

And  last  and  best,  that  testimony  from  a 
great  and  good  General,  which  is  a  trophy  to 
the  Commission :  — 

"  HEAD-QUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  CUMBERLAND, 
"  MURFREESBORO,  February  2,  1863. 

"  The  General  Commanding  presents  his  warm 
est  acknowledgments  to  the  friends  of  the  sol 
diers  of  this  Army,  whose  generous  sympathy 
with  the  suffering  of  the  sick  and  wounded  has 
induced  them  to  send  for  their  comfort  numerous 
sanitary  supplies,  which  are  continually  arriving 
by  the  hands  of  individuals  and  charitable  so 
cieties.  While  he  highly  appreciates  and  does 
not  undervalue  the  charities  which  have  been 
lavished  on  this  Army,  experience  has  demon 
strated  the  importance  of  system  and  impar 
tiality,  as  well  as  judgment  and  economy,  in  the 
forwarding  and  distribution  of  these  supplies. 
In  all  these  respects,  the  United  States  Sanitary 
Commission  stands  unrivalled.  Its  organiza 
tion,  experience,  and  large  facilities  for  the  work 
are  such  that  the  General  does  not  hesitate  to 
recommend,  in  the  most  urgent  manner,  all 
those  who  desire  to  send  sanitary  supplies,  to 
confide  them  to  the  care  of  this  Commission. 
*  See  Appendix  I. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  189 

"  They  will  thus  insure  the  supplies  reaching 
their  destination  without  wastage,  or  expense 
of  agents  or  transportation,  and  their  being  dis 
tributed  in  a  judicious  manner  without  disorder 
or  interference  with  the  regulations  and  usages 
of  the  service. 

"  This  Commission  acts  in  full  concert  with  the 
Medical  Department  of  the  Army,  and  enjoys 
its  confidence.  It  is  thus  enabled  with  a  few 
agents  to  do  a  large  amount  of  good  at  the 
proper  time,  and  in  the  proper  way.  Since  the 
battle  of  Stone's  River,  it  has  distributed  a  sur 
prisingly  large  amount  of  clothing,  lint,  band 
ages,  and  bedding,  as  well  as  milk,  concentrated 
beef,  fruit,  and  other  sanitary  stores,  essential  to 
the  recovery  of  the  sick  and  wounded. 

"  W.    S.    ROSECRANS, 

"  Major- General  Commanding  Department" 

In  the  middle  of  July  the  Army  moved. 
With  each  division  went  an  ambulance,  filled 
with  the  stores  of  the  Commission.  Two  In 
spectors  marched  with  the  Army,  accompanied 
by  special  messengers,  to  be  sent  back  to  the 
storehouses  of  the  Commission  when  the  sup 
plies  on  hand  should  begin  to  give  out.  The 
history  is  the  same  as  ever.  As  the  Army  starts 
the  sick  are  left  behind,  or  they  fall  out  of  the 
ranks  as  it  moves  on.  Messengers  are  going 
back,  and  supplies  are  moving  forward.  Gen 
eral  Rosecrans's  headquarters  are  at  Tullahoma  ; 


190  THE   UNITED   STATES 

a  battle  is  expected,  and  things  must  be  in 
readiness  for  it.  So  the  telegraph  keeps  say 
ing,  "  Bring  stores  by  the  next  train."  "  Send 
forward,  without  delay,  two  ambulances  with 
plenty  of  stimulants,  morphine,  and  quinine." 
"  We  have  clothing,  but  are  nearly  out  of  ar 
ticles  of  diet,  and  they  are  in  great  demand," 
etc.,  etc. 

The  health  of  the  Army  on  the  15th  of 
August  is  reported  as  unusually  good.  "  The 
14th  Army  Corps  has  but  160  men  unable  to 
do  duty."  "  At  Winchester  and  Tullahoma 
there  are  but  few  sick,  the  worst  cases  have  been 
sent  to  general  hospitals."  "  Our  cavalry  com 
mand  is  distributed  over  a  large  territory;  its 
left  and  right  wings  being  not  less  than  120 
miles  apart.  They  are  employed  in  scouting, 
have  a  sufficient  number  of  good  shelter-tents; 
cook  by  companies,  even  when  scouting;  and 
the  surgeons  inspect  the  food  to  see  that  it  is 
well  cooked.  There  has  been  no  issue  of  fresh 
vegetables  for  a  long  time,  but  many  are  ob 
tained  from  the  country  around.  The  clothing 
is  sufficient,  and  of  good  quality.  All  have 
blankets  of  cloth  or  india-rubber.  Each  regi 
ment  has  one  hospital  tent.  The  report  of  the 
sick  in  the  whole  command,  in  hospital  and 
quarters,  is  225,  —  mostly  slight  cases.  There  is 
one  ambulance  to  each  regiment,  with  a  reserve 
supply  well  furnished  with  medical  stores  and 
instruments.  The  hospital  record  is  properly 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  191 

kept,  and  there  is  a  hospital  fund.  Diarrhoea 
and  malarial  fevers  are  the  prevailing  diseases." 
So  it  appears  that  the  Inspector  is  doing  his 
duty  in  the  advance,  and  discovers  that  others 
are  doing  the  same.  His  little  memorandum 
says  much  for  the  officers  of  that  cavalry  com 
mand. 

At  last  from  Chattanooga  come  the  heavy  laden 
words,  "  We  are  expecting  a  great  battle." 
"  Dr.  Barnum  came  last  night,  —  was  very  ener 
getic  in  getting  through.  Mr.  Crary  came  yes 
terday  with  seven  loads  of  stores.  Mr.  Redding 
and  his  companion  were  left  at  Bridgeport,  ex 
pecting  to  come  on  as  soon  as  possible.  They 
are  wanted  now  at  Bridgeport  and  at  Steven 
son  more  than  here.  I  shall  try  to  communicate 
with  them  to-day  by  telegraph.  Stores  designed 
for  this  place  must  be  sent  to  Bridgeport  at 
once,  so  as  to  be  ready  for  the  trains.  They 
can  be  stored  in  tents,  which  have  been  fur 
nished  to  us.  We  are  practically  farther  from 
Bridgeport  than  Bridgeport  is  from  Louisville ; 
and  we  regard  ourselves  as  exceedingly  fortu 
nate  to  get  goods  through  as  we  have,  but  it  is 
very  difficult  to  communicate  with  those  here. 
I  will  telegraph  you  of  any  special  changes." 

"  STEVENSON,  ALA.,  Sept.  24,  1863. 

"  I  reached  this  point  on  the  first  of  Septem 
ber,  in  company  with  my  brother,  Dr.  A.  N. 
Read,  who  had  visited  the  place  repeatedly  be- 


192  THE  UNITED   STATES 

fore,  and  established  a  depot  of  stores  here. 
The  immediate  demand  for  supplies  was  then 
not  large,  as  much  of  the  Army  was  inacces 
sible,  and  was  so  situated  that  vegetables  and 
other  supplies  could,  in  part,  be  drawn  from 
the  country.  All  the  sick  who  could  be 
reached  from  the  different  stations  along  the 
road,  were  liberally  supplied  with  stores,  and 
vegetables  were  furnished  to  such  regiments  as 
seemed  most  needy. 

"  Arrangements  were  made  with  the  medical 
director  of  the  department,  by  whom  we  were 
to  be  notified  by  telegraph  or  courier  of  any 
probable  engagement  with  the  enemy ;  the 
notice  to  be  accompanied  by  an  order  for  the 
requisite  transportation. 

"  As  our  troops  passed  further  from  the  river, 
and  began  to  concentrate  around  Chattanooga, 
it  seemed  best  to  have  a  personal  inspection  of 
the  wants  of  the  Army,  and  of  the  routes  by 
which  stores  could  reach  the  different  divisions 
from  Stevenson  or  Bridgeport.  Accordingly, 
we  purchased  saddle-horses,  and  on  the  8th 
started  for  the  front,  passing  through  Bridge 
port  and  over  Raccoon  or  Sandy  Mountain  by  a 
rocky,  difficult  mountain-road,  reaching  General 
Rosecrans's  head-quarters  at  Trenton,  Georgia, 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  9th.  Here  we  heard  of 
the  evacuation  of  Chattanooga,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  10th  reached  that  place  in  com 
pany  with  a  part  of  the  General's  staff.  On 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  193 

our  route  we  struck  the  river  road  from  Bridge 
port  to  Chattanooga,  the  latter  part  of  which 
passes  along  the  side  of  Lookout  Mountain, 
over  a  rough,  broken,  rocky  bed,  cut  into  the 
mountain-side,  over  which  loaded  wagons  pass 
with  great  difficulty. 

"  At  Chattanooga  we  learned  that  the  enemy 
were  steadily  falling  back,  —  the  rumors  of  the 
probabilities  of  an  engagement  constantly  chang 
ing  and  contradictory.  Should  one  occur,  it  was 
evident  there  would  be  great  destitution  ;  and, 
having  ascertained  by  inspection  of  the  routes 
by  which  supplies  must  be  brought  in,  that  prac 
tically  Chattanooga  was  farther  from  Bridgeport 
than  the  latter  place  is  from  Louisville,  we  made 
immediate  and  persistent  efforts  to  procure  trans 
portation,  so  as  to  forward  as  many  stores  as  we 
could  get  at  the  earliest  moment,  and  finally 
succeeded  in  getting  through,  with  the  first  sup 
ply  train  that  reached  the  place,  seven  wagon- 
loads  of  milk,  beef,  rags,  bandages,  dried  fruits, 
hospital  clothing,  &c.  Mr.  Crary,  our  store 
keeper  at  Stevenson,  came  through  with  the 
train,  and  immediately  returned  to  superintend 
the  forwarding  of  further  supplies. 

"  We  obtained  an  order  for  four  more  wagons, 
which  was  telegraphed  to  Stevenson,  and  the 
wagons  were  loaded  and  forwarded  before  Mr. 
Crary  got  through  on  his  return.  During  the 
battle  he  sent  forward  additional  supplies,  which 
were  turned  back  by  an  order  stopping  all  trains, 

13 


194  THE  UNITED   STATES 

and  did  not  reach  Chattanooga  before  we  left 
the  place,  but  crossed  the  river  and  were  taken 
in  charge  by  the  hospital  steward  of  the  93d 
Ohio  Vols.,  a  faithful  man,  who  undertook  to 
get  them  through  by  the  route  on  this  side. 

"  Good  rooms  were  secured  at  Chattanooga, 
our  stores  assorted  and  arranged  for  rapid  deliv 
ery,  before  the  battle  commenced.  Skirmishing 
occurred  along  the  line  for  several  days,  and  a 
few  wounded  men  were  brought  to  the  hospitals 
in  the  town.  These  were  supplied  with  such 
articles  as  they  required  from  our  rooms,  and  we 
also  sent  forward,  by  every  safe  means,  a  limited 
supply  to  the  temporary  hospitals  in  the  front. 

, "  On  Saturday,  the  19th,  the  general  engage 
ment  commenced,  and  continued,  suspended  at 
intervals  while  changing  positions  or  falling 
back,  throughout  Saturday,  Sunday,  Mojiday, 
and  Tuesday.  During  this  time  there  was  no 
opportunity  of  making  even  the  briefest  memo 
randa,  and  the  events,  of  which  I  am  giving  you 
this  hurriedly  written  narrative,  may  not  all  be 
detailed  in  the  order  of  their  occurrence.  My 
brother  was  severely  sick,  and  had  been  so  for 
several  days.  In  fact,  he  was  totally  unfitted 
for  work,  but  persisted  in  doing  what  he  could, 
and  continued  the  general  superintendence  of 
the  work.  Not  a  great  many  wounded  were 
sent  back  on  Saturday  ;  but  on  Sunday  they 
came  in  numbers  far  beyond  the  ability  of  all 
the  medical  officers  to  provide  even  tolerably 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  195 

for  their  comfort.  At  the  request  of  the  medi 
cal  director,  Dr.  Barnum  took  possession  of  two 
large  blocks,  cleared  out  the  rooms,  fitted  them 
up  temporarily  for  the  wounded,  supplying  them 
with  clothing,  bandages,  and  edibles  from  our 
rooms,  procured  and  put  up  stores,  dressed  the 
wounds  of  those  most  requiring  immediate 
assistance,  and  superintended  the  providing  and 
cooking  of  rations  for  the  men.  All  of  the 
rooms  were  soon  filled ;  and  by  his  untiring 
efforts  from  1500  to  2000  were  rendered  toler 
ably  comfortable.  On  Sunday,  I  visited  all 
the  hospitals  and  temporary  resting-places  of 
the  wounded,  notifying  the  officers  in  charge  of 
the  location  of  our  rooms  and  the  nature  of  our 
supplies,  asking  them  to  send  for  everything  we 
had  so  far  as  it  was  needed. 

"  Returning  late  in  the  evening,  I  found  a 
large  church  on  Main  Street,  where  services  had 
been  held  during  the  day,  and  saw  that  the  steps 
were  crowded  with  wounded  men.  Entering 
the  church,  it  was  found  filled  with  a  congrega 
tion  from  the  battle-field,  crippled  with  every 
variety  of  wounds,  with  no  medical  or  other 
officer  in  charge,  without  food  of  any  kind, 
without  water,  and  without  even  a  candle  to 
shed  a  glimmering  light  over  their  destitution, — 
silent  worshippers  in  the  darkness,  —  patient,  un 
murmuring  martyrs  in  a  noble  cause,  apparently 
deserted  by  all  except  Him  in  whose  sanctuary 
they  had  taken  refuge.  I  immediately  carried 


196  THE  UNITED   STATES 

concentrated  beef  to  the  residence  of  Dr.  Simms, 
near  the  church,  —  a  resident  physician  of  rebel 
sympathies,  but  a  generous  and  warm-hearted 
man,  in  whose  office  we  had  some  days  before 
found  quarters,  and  where  my  brother  superin 
tended  the  preparation  of  soup  while  I  brought 
candles  and  a  box  of  hard  bread,  had  them 
carried  to  the  church,  and,  procuring  water,  dis 
tributed  it  to  the  thirsty. 

"  Two  thirds  of  the  occupants  of  the  church  — 
some  with  shattered  arms,  and  some  with  other 
ghastly  wounds  —  were  sleeping  quietly  upon 
the  seats  and  the  floor,  unconscious  of  their 
many  wounds.  Never  before  had  I  so  high  an 
appreciation  of  '  Nature's  sweet  restorer,  balmy 
sleep.' 

"  The  soup  was  brought  and  distributed  to 
the  wakeful,  and  my  brother  and  Dr.  Simms 
commenced  dressing  their  wounds,  and  con 
tinued  their  labor  till  sheer  exhaustion  compelled 
them  to  desist;  —  the  waking  men  provided  for, 
the  sleeping  were  allowed  to  sleep  in  peace. 
I  reported  the  condition  of  these  men  to  the 
medical  director,  and  medical  officers  were  put 
in  charge  of  them,  and  in  the  morning  a  chap 
lain  took  charge  of  vegetables  and  other  eatables 
which  I  sent  from  the  rooms,  and  superintended 
the  preparation  of  food  for  the  men.  At  this 
time,  Monday,  the  streets  were  completely 
blockaded  their  whole  length  with  army  wagons, 
as  an  order  had  been  issued  on  Sunday  for  the 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  197 

whole  train  to  be  sent  across  the  river.  This 
was  done  apparently  to  avoid  confusion,  and  to 
save  our  train  if  our  forces  should  be  compelled 
to  evacuate  the  place.  The  only  means  of 
crossing  was  one  narrow  pontoon  bridge,  and 
for  two  days  the  trains  filled  the  streets. 
Our  stores  were  needed  everywhere,  but  nobody 
could  get  to  our  quarters.  After  applying  to 
several  head-quarters,  I  procured  an  order  for 
three  army  wagons  to  report  at  our  rooms  for 
the  distribution  of  stores.  And,  hastily  riding  to 
the  different  hospitals,  I  obtained  approximately 
the  capacity  of  each,  the  number  of  its  inmates, 
and  the  nature  of  the  articles  most  needed.  The 
usual  answer  to  the  question,  '  What  do  you 
need  most  ?  '  was, '  Everything,'  —  a  comprehen 
sive,  but  almost  literally  a  truthful  answer.  Re 
turning  to  the  rooms,  I  gave  general  directions 
to  Messrs.  Redding  and  Larrabee,  who  superin 
tended  the  loading  of  the  wagons,  and  piloted 
each  one,  when  loaded,  through  the  dense  mass 
of  teams  to  its  destination. 

"  At  first  sight,  it  seemed  an  apparently  hope 
less  undertaking;  but  the  words,  '  This  wagon  is 
loaded  with  stores  for  your  wounded  comrades ; 
can  you  make  room  for  it  to  pass  ? '  operated 
like  magic  everywhere  ;  and  in  no  single  instance 
did  I  find  a  driver  who  did  not  promptly  and 
cheerfully  open  a  way  for  the  supplies,  and  that, 
too,  through  streets  where  there  were  three,  four, 
and  five  parallel  trains,  the  drivers  all  eager  to 


198  THE   UNITED   STATES 

reach  the  pontoon  bridge  first  and  secure  prece 
dence  in  crossing.  In  this  way,  we  succeeded 
in  getting  a  good  supply :  a  full  wagon-load  each 
to  the  seminary  building,  and  old  rebel  hospi 
tals  on  the  hill ;  to  the  old  rebel  hospital  near  the 
Critchfield  Hotel  (now  called  No.  2)  ;  to  the 
Gritchfield  Hotel,  where  there  were  about  1500 
wounded ;  to  two  churches  next  to  the  Critch 
field  House ;  to  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  to 
three  blocks  of  buildings  on  Main  Street ;  and  to 
the  officers'  hospital,  in  a  large  brick  building 
east  of  Main  Street. 

"  The  stores  most  in  demand  at  Chattanooga 
were  of  edibles,  beef,  milk,  stimulants,  and  dried 
fruit.  The  beef,  on  account  of  its  intrinsic  value, 
portability,  and  the  readiness  with  which  it  can 
be  prepared,  is  the  most  valuable  of  all,  and  at  such 
a  time  as  this  there  is  no  danger  of  an  over-sup 
ply.  Of  clothing  and  dressings,  bandages  and 
rags  were  first  in  demand ;  then  shirts,  drawers, 
comforts,  and  blankets.  Of  the  last  we  had  but 
a  few,  and  there  was  a  great  demand  for  them. 
Most  of  the  wounded  had  lost  their  blankets. 
The  nights  were  cold,  and  they  suffered  greatly 
on  that  account.  I  have  mentioned  only  these 
few  articles  of  prime  necessity,  but  everything 
usually  furnished  for  the  sick  and  wounded  was 
then,  and  is  now,  in  great  demand.  We  are 
able  to  provide  for  those  who  get  through  to  the 
railroad  what  is  needed  in  addition  to  the  Gov 
ernment  supplies,  but  it  is  essential  that  large 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  199 

quantities  of  all  the  usual  articles  be  shipped 
through  to  Chattanooga  as  fast  as  possible. 
There  the  destitution  and  suffering  have  been, 
and  must,  for  some  time,  be  very  great.  Yet, 
you  must  not  construe  what  I  write  here,  or 
have  written  above,  as  an  implied  censure  of 
the  medical  officers  of  the  Army.  I  know  how 
persistently  the  Medical  Director  of  the  Army 
labored  to  procure  transportation  for  his  sup 
plies,  and  how  ready  he  was  to  aid  us  in  procur 
ing  transportation.  I  know,  also,  that  war  is 
and  must  be  cruel ;  and,  situated  as  our  Army 
was  before  Chattanooga,  even  mercy  to  the 
wounded  required  that  the  Army,  yes,  even  that 
the  horses,  should  be  fed,  although  the  wounded 
suffered 'until  the  battle  was  over.  Over  roads, 
the  difficulties  of  which  no  one  will  appreciate 
until  he  has  tried  them,  supplies  had  to  be  car 
ried  for  men  and  horses  whose  strength  and 
endurance  alone  could  save  all  of  the  wounded 
from  the  hardships  and  destitution  which  the 
wounded  prisoners  would  encounter  at  the  hands 
of  the  rebels. 

"  If  Chattanooga  is  to  be  permanently  held, 
easier  communication  must  be  established  by 
the  river  and  by  rail.  The  shorter  carriage- 
route  over  Lookout  Mountain,  which  has  been 
blown  up  to  prevent  a  flank  movement,  will  be 
reopened,  and  we  shall  then  be  able  to  send  for 
ward  additional  supplies  as  fast  as  you  can  get 
them  here.  Thus  far  no  time  has  been  lost,  for 


200  THE  UNITED   STATES 

we  have  had  all  that  we  could  get  transporta 
tion  for;  and  by  the  time  a  new  shipment  can 
reach  us,  we  hope  to  secure  transportation  for 
all  you  can  send  us. 

"  If,  when  this  reaches  you,  the  telegrams  from 
the  front  advise  you  that  we  still  hold  Chatta 
nooga,  my  advice  would  be  to  send  of  all  supplies 
as  large 'a  quantity  as  possible;  for  I  believe 
that,  already,  this  battle  is  one  of  the  bloodiest 
of  the  war.  Our  loss  must  already  be  greater 
than  it  was  at  Stone's  River  ;  and  I  do  not  be 
lieve  the  rebels  will  fall  back  before  our  rein 
forced  army  without  another  desperate  struggle." 

With  this  record  ends  this  imperfect  sketch, 
and  our  thoughts  are  left  to  go  with  the  Com 
mission  upon  that  bloody  field,  wher^  so  much 
of  the  youth  and  manhood  of  our  country,  of  its 
nerve  and  genius,  are  lying  dead. 

Whilst  victory  and  defeat  have  alike  given  us 
work  on  the  Cumberland  and  on  the  Mississippi, 
the  armies  in  Western  Virginia  and  General 
Burnside's  forces  in  the  Department  of  the  Ohio 
have  been  inspected  and  their  wants  supplied. 
From  General  Burnside,  as  might  be  expected, 
every  assistance  has  been  received  by  the  Com 
mission,  and  he  has  issued  especial  orders  in  its 
favor,  similar  to  those  of  General  Grant  and 
General  Rosecrans. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  201 


ARMIES  OF  THE   GULF  AND   THE  ATLANTIC   COAST. 

During  all  this  time  work  was  going  on  upon 
many  another  field. 

Army  of  the  Gulf.  —  The  control  of  the  Fed 
eral  Government  over  the  coasts  of  the  enemy 
was  extended  in  December,  1861,  by  the  success 
of  a  small  naval  expedition  which  took  posses 
sion  of  Ship  Island,  and  of  the  half-finished  fort 
upon  it.  On  New  Year's  day,  1862,  the  expedi 
tion  under  Major- General  Butler  sailed  from 
Boston  with  reinforcements  to  this  point,  and 
with  it  went  an  Inspector  of  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission,  Dr.  Geo.  A.  Blake,  with  large  supplies 
from  the  Boston  Branch.  The  expedition  sailed 
in  the  transport  "  Constitution,"  with  two  thou 
sand  five  hundred  troops  on  board  ;  and  it  was 
owing  to  the  forethought  of  the  Inspector, 
who  took  with  him  some  vaccine  virus,  (none 
else  proved  to  be  on  board,)  that  the  ship  was 
saved  from  the  scourge  of  small-pox,  —  one 
case  having  appeared  which  they  were  able  to 
leave  at  Fortress  Monroe.  The  wretched  condi 
tion  of  Ship  Island,  a  barren,  desolate  sand-spit, 
left  free  for  the  most  part  to  alligators  and  such 
reptiles  as  abound  in  the  swamps  and  lagoons 
of  that  region  ;  the  painful  and  variable  climate  ; 
the  sufferings  of  the  men  from  diarrhoea,  influ 
enza,  and  rheumatism ;  the  badness  of  the  food,1 
which  was  of  salt  meat  (no  fresh  meat  being 
issued)  ;  the  badness  of  the  water,  and  the 


202  THE  UNITED   STATES 

wretched  system  of  cooking,  made  the  presence 
of  the  Sanitary  Commission  not  undesirable. 
A  hospital  was  established  on  the  Island  and 
liberally  furnished  from  the  Commission  stores, 
which  had  been  replenished  at  Fortress  Monroe. 
Whilst  the  Inspector's  head-quarters  were  at 
Ship  Island  he  found  time  and  opportunity  to 
visit  Key  West,  and  to  examine  and  relieve  the 
wants  of  the  troops  stationed  there. 

The  condition  of  the  sick  on  the  Island  being, 
after  a  time,  so  far  improved  that  the  depot 
could  be  left  in  charge  of  a  relief  agent,  Dr. 
Blake  believed  that  more  real  good  might  be 
done  by  his  accepting  a  proposal  of  General 
Butler,  to  become  temporarily  the  surgeon  of 
the  26th  Regt.  Mass.  Vols.,  and  he  joined  the 
expedition  against  New  Orleans,  with  the  pros 
pect  of  an  advance  up  the  Mississippi.  As  the 
expedition  lay  at  anchor  below  Fort  Jackson, 
during  the  bombardment,  he  found  an  oppor 
tunity  to  benefit  the  sister-service.  The  naval 
officers  were  anxious  to  establish  a  hospital  at 
Pilot-town,  in  the  Southwest  Passage.  The 
destitution  of  the  gunboats  in  all  medical  and 
surgical  appliances  was  found  to  be  complete ; 
nor  was  it  possible  to  procure  such  appliances 
from  any  source  whatever.  A  happy  accident 
brought  the  Commission  in  their  way,  and  they 
were  liberally  supplied  with  sponges,  chloro 
form,  oiled  silk,  adhesive  plaster,  bandages,  lint, 
sheets,  &c.,  &c. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  203 

Nothing  can  describe  the  suffering  of  the. 
troops  upon  the  crowded  transports  which  are 
used  for  these  expeditions ;  but  it  is  wonderful 
how  much  misery  our  soldiers  will  cheerfully 
endure.  Surely  the  wells  of  patriotism  in  their 
hearts  are  too  deep  to  be  drained  by  the  prospect 
of  any  suffering,  however  great,  or  the  experience 
of  any  hardships,  however  severe,  incurred  in  the 
defence  of  our  National  Government.  One  of 
the  ships  employed  to  carry  troops  for  this  expe 
dition  had  been  chartered  to  carry  British  troops 
to  the  Crimea,  and  was  then  limited  to  the 
number  of  three  hundred  and  sixty :  our  quar 
termaster  thought  her  capable  of  carrying  one 
thousand.  The  Commission  was  able  at  least 
to  mitigate  the  sufferings  of  these  men.  A 
clean  shirt  was  a  boon  to  many  a  poor  fellow, 
who  recited  to  the  Inspector  the  habits  of  clean 
liness  in  which  he  had  been  trained,  and  told 
of  the  joys  and  comforts  of  that  New  England 
fireside,  which  he  had  left  from  a  pure  patriot 
ism  ;  and  then  whispered,  with  shame,  that  he 
was  now  ragged  and  covered  with  vermin. 

On  arriving  at  New  Orleans  the  remaining 
stores  were  given  to  the  St.  James  Hotel,  then 
appropriated  as  a  hospital,  and  the  surgeons  in 
attendance  expressed  their  great  indebtedness  to 
the  Commission,  saying,  that  these  stores  ena 
bled  them  to  double  the  comfort  of  their  men. 
At  the  same  time  a  fresh  supply  of  beef-stock, 
condensed  milk,  whisky,  and  brandy  arrived 


204  THE   UNITED   STATES 

from  the  depots  of  the  Commission,  and  were 
distributed,  as  needed,  to  the  different  hospitals 
about  the  city.  A  free  use  of  these  stores;  was 
marked,  after  a  short  time,  by  the  rapid  change 
and  recovery  of  convalescents. 

At  many  of  the  posts  it  was  impossible  to 
obtain  food  suitable  for  the  sick.  In  New  Or 
leans  everything  commanded  an  enormous  price, 
and,  moreover,  could  only  be  obtained  through 
the  hospital  fund,  whiph  did  not  then  exist  in  a 
single  instance.  These  stores  of  the  Commis 
sion  were  therefore  doubled  in  a  cash  estimate 
from  the  original  value,  and  were  in  fact  inval 
uable  to  the  surgeons  who  could  draw  on  them 
freely  for  their  sick  and  convalescents.  Many 
lives  were  saved  and  many  thanks  were  ren 
dered  from  grateful  hearts  for  this  bountiful 
expression  of  the  sympathy  which  lives  in  loyal 
bosoms;  and  rebels  were  staggered  by  the  sight. 

The  relations  of  the  Commission  and  its  In 
spector  to  the  officers  of  the  Army  were  con 
stantly  of  the  most  favorable  kind.  General 
Butler  repeatedly  gave  assurances  of  his  high 
appreciation  of  the  efforts  of  the  Commission, 
and  there  was  scarcely  an  officer  of  the  command 
but  was  ready  and  willing  to  listen  to  the  many 
suggestions  which  wTere  made  for  the  removal 
of  existing  wrongs  and  imprudences.  The  med 
ical  essays  of  the  Commission  were  freely  dis 
tributed,  and  gladly  received  by  the  surgeons, 
who,  with  the  regimental  officers,  were  awakened 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  205 

to  a  sense  of  the  necessity  of  sanitary  measures; 
and  it  is  believed  that  the  improved  condition 
of  the  troops  in  this  department  is  largely  owing 
in  this  way  to  the  Commission. 

In  the  summer  of  1862,  the  field  of  inspec 
tion  and  relief  in  the  Gulf  Department  included 
the  forces  stationed  at  Fort  Pickens.  Fort  Bar 
rancas,  Ship  Island;  Forts  Pike,  Macomb,  Jack 
son,  and  St.  Philip;  Carrollton,  Bonnet  Carre", 
Donaldsonville,  Thibodeaux,  Brashear  City,  and 
the  forces  in  New  Orleans. 

The  general  and  regimental  hospitals  in  those 
places  were  visited  systematically,  and  their 
wants  relieved ;  but,  as  a  general  thing,  they 
w.ere  well  conducted  and  well  supplied.  In 
every  instance  a  hospital  fund  had  been  created, 
and  those  hospitals  near  to  the  city  were  able 
to  buy  in  the  markets  both  for  themselves  and 
the  other  hospitals  beyond  them.  The  winter 
passed  away  in  the  current  issue  of  supplies, 
and  in  a  most  careful  inspection  of  regiments, 
from  which  valuable  information  is  now  being 
derived. 

Expedition  into  the  Tcc/ie  Country. —  On  the 
arrival  of  General  Banks's  expedition  early  in 
1863,  the  Commission  forces  were  increased 
by  Dr.  Crane  and  others,  bringing  with  them 
more  than  $17,000  worth  of  fresh  supplies. 
When  the  expedition  moved  into  the  Teche 
country  in  March,  1863,  Dr.  Crane,  and  Mr. 
Mitchell,  relief  agent,  left  New  Orleans  for 


206  THE  UNITED   STATES 

Baton  K/ouge,  with  General  Banks  and  Staff. 
On  the  General's  arrival,  the  Army  moved  for 
ward  at  once,  leaving  its  sick,  an  aggregate  of 
2400,  to  be  cared  for  in  Baton  Rouge.  Contra 
dictory  orders,  vacillations,  and  final  hurry, 
caused  much  confusion  in  the  work.  Three 
fourths  of  the  sick  were  left  on  the  bare  floor  of 
barracks;  some  were  in  deserted  camps,  and  the 
majority  left  in  charge  of  a  few  nurses,  their 
surgeons  being  of  course  with  the  regiments. 
The  depot  of  the  Commission  being  estab 
lished  at  Baton  Rouge,  every  assistance  was 
rendered  to  these  unfortunate  men,  while  at 
the  same  time  supplies  were  sent  forward  with 
the  Army. 

Had  an  engagement  occurred,  as  all  expected, 
and  had  Baton  Rouge  been  filled  with  wounded 
men,  the  services  of  the  Commission,  ready  as 
it  was  for  the  emergency,  would  have  been 
signal.  It  is,  however,  none  the  less  a  satis 
faction  to  know  that,  what  work  there  was,  it 
did  well,  and  that  hundreds  of  sick  were  ben 
efited  and  made  comfortable  by  its  presence  at 
this  point. 

The  attack  on  Port  Hudson  proved  a  feint ; 
and  the  Army  returned  within  a  week  to  its 
quarters  at  Baton  Rouge,  where  it  found  the 
benefits  of  the  depot  of  the  Commission.  Dur 
ing  this  brief  period,  three  thousand  articles  of 
clothing  and  six  hundred  pounds  of  beef-stock, 
condensed  milk,  &c.,  were  issued  from  it. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  207 

The  advance  towards  Port  Hudson  was  but 
the  first  step  to  a  series  of  brilliant  movements 
on  the  part  of  the  Army,  each  one  of  which  was 
followed  by  the  Commission.  Agents  and  sup 
plies  were  pushed  forward  to  Brashear  City,  fol 
lowing  the  advance  of  the  Army  to  the  Red  River. 
When  an  engagement  occurred,  and  the  wounded 
were  sent  to  the  rear  beyond  Franklin,  they  were 
taken  in  charge  by  the  Sanitary  Commission, 
and  conveyed  for  the  most  part  in  steamers  to 
New  Orleans.  Indeed  all,  but  fifty-seven  severe 
cases  left  at  Brashear  City,  were  thus  removed 
by  the  agents  of  the  Commission,  who  gathered 
up  on  their  way  the  sick  upon  the  Teche,  at 
Pattersonville,  and  at  other  places.  As  the 
Army  rested  at  Opelousas  and  Washington,  en 
route  to  Alexandria,  its  wants  were  studied  and 
relieved  by  the  Commission.  Five  hundred 
pounds  of  ice,  with  condensed  milk,  appear 
among  the  items  issued  at  the  request  of  the 
medical  director.  Each  wing  of  the  Army  in 
vesting  Port  Hudson  was  accompanied  by  an 
Inspector  and  Relief  Agent,  with  a  depot  of 
stores  useful  in  the  daily  supply  routine,  and 
ready  for  any  emergency.  During  all  the  mil 
itary  operations  against  Port  Hudson,  on  the 
battle-fields  of  May  27th  and  June  4th,  and  at 
Springfield  Landing,  the  agents  of  the  Commis 
sion  attended  to  the  removal  of  the  wounded, 
and  to  the  care  of  them  at  Baton  Rouge,  to 
which  place  they  were  conveyed.  The  Inspect- 


208  THE   UNITED   STATES 

or's  head-quarters  were  with  General  Weitzel 
on  the  right.  An  estimation  of  the  services 
he  and  the  other  agents  rendered  during  this 
campaign  can  be  formed  from  the  fact  that 
some  officers  who  had  looked  on  the  Commis 
sion  as  a  "  meddlesome  concern,"  now  volun 
tarily  went  to  the  Inspector,  and,  surrendering 
their  old  ideas,  thanked  him  for  what  had 
been  done  by  the  agents  of  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission.* 

At  the  present  moment,  the  thoughts  of  those 
stationed  in  New  Orleans  under  the  charge  of 
Dr.  Blake  turn  to  the  expedition  preparing  un 
der  General  Banks. 

A  "  Woman's  Union  Aid  Society  " — or  rather, 
in  this  instance,  let  us  say  a  "  Union  Women's 
Aid  Society"  —  is  at  work  in  New  Orleans. 
"  I  bade  them  God  speed,"  says  the  Inspector ; 
"their  work  is  useful  as  an  example  of  loyal 
principle,  besides  its  value  in  actual  results." 
And  here  at  the  North  we  echo  his  benediction. 


Army  in  North  Carolina.  —  The  next  great 
point  of  attack  and  lodgment  on  the  Southern 
Atlantic  coast  was  first  reached  by  the  expedi 
tion  under  General  Burnside,  which  left  the  har 
bor  of  New  York,  and  rendezvoused  at  Fortress 
Monroe,  sailing  thence  at  midnight,  January 
llth,  1862. 

*  See  Appendix  K. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  209 

With  this  expedition  sailed  an  agent  of  the 
Sanitary  Commission.  At  its  dreary  resting- 
place  on  Hatteras,  the  stores  of  the  Commission 
became  at  once  important.  General  Burnside 
issued  immediate  orders  to  put  the  regiments 
into  marching  condition.  The  sick  were  to  be 
sent  into  one  of  the  barracks.  But  how  were 
they  to  be  provided  for  ?  A  hundred  of  them 
arrived  before  dark,  and  before  dark  the  Com 
mission  had  arrived  also.  A  hundred  beds  were 
ready,  with  blankets  and  pillows  for  the  weary 
heads,  and  food  and  stimulants  for  the  exhausted 
and  fevered  bodies.  The  relief  which  this  timely 
aid  gave  to  the  surgeons,  the  satisfaction  which 
it  brought  alike  to  officers  and  men,  and  espe 
cially  to  the  medical  staff,  can  only  be  realized 
by  one  in  actual  contact  with  the  utter  desola 
tion  of  the  forsaken  sand-spit  on  which  this 
military  post  was  established,  —  where  the 
elements  were  in  constant  strife,  seeming  to  be 
presided  over  by  evil  genii  possessed  with  the 
spirit  of  eternal  unrest. 

Reaching  Roanoke  Island,  the  Commission 
found  that,  although  the  hospitals  were  suffer 
ing  from  a  dearth  of  supplies,  medicines,  sick- 
food,  and  furniture,  yet  the  sick,  especially 
the  wounded,  were  doing  well,  owing,  beyond 
a  doubt,  to  well  constructed,  or  rather  well  ven 
tilated  barracks,  and  to  the  conscientious  care 
of  their  surgeons. 

The    energy    with    which    General    Burnside 

14 


210  THE  UNITED   STATES 

pushed  on  his  preparations  for  a  forward  move 
ment  left  but  few  of  the  troops  in  situ  long 
enough  for  purposes  of  inspection  ;  and  the 
attention  of  the  Inspectors  was  more  partic 
ularly  given  to  the  hospitals,  on  which  the 
supplies  held  by  the  Commission  were  freely 
bestowed  :  —  supplies  which  were  available  at 
a  time  when  they  were  most  grateful  both  to 
the  surgeons  and  patients.  The  generous  recep 
tion  of  the  Commission  by  many  of  the  general 
and  other  officers,  and  their  cordial  promise  to 
facilitate  the  work  in  every  way,  did  much  to 
encourage  and  cheer  those  who  had  it  in  hand  ; 
one  of  whom  remarks, —  "  In  fact  it  was  within 
the  lines  of  the  Army  that  I  first  began  to  appre 
ciate  the  high  estimation  in  which  the  Sanitary 
Commission  is  held  by  the  service." 

When  the  advance  on  Newbern  commenced, 
the  Commission  was  called  upon  to  replenish 
the  already  exhausted  stock  of  stimulants,  anaes 
thetics,  and  narcotics,  besides  supplying  other 
necessary  and  useful  articles.  For  instance  : 
the  colonel  of  a  Massachusetts  regiment  told  the 
Inspector  that  one  or  two  hundred  of  his  men 
were  about  to  start  on  the  expedition,  with  the 
prospect  of  forced  marches  and  hard  fighting,  but 
with  no  stockings  on  their  feet.  The  Inspector 
gave  an  order  on  a  depot  of  the  Commission 
which  the  regiment  was  to  pass  on  its  way  forth. 
A  few  days  later  he  received  grateful  acknowl 
edgments  on  behalf  of  the  regiment,  which  bore 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  211 

a  gallant  and  honorable  part  in  the  victory 
which  ensued. 

General  Burnside,  with  his  wise  forethought 
for  the  good  of  his  men,  permitted  and  aided 
the  Commission  to  follow  him  to  Newbern  ; 
detailing  men  to  its  service,  giving  its  vessel  a 
position  in  the  fleet,  and  promising  that  it  should 
be  taken  seasonably  to  a  point  at  which  the 
stores  of  the  Commission  could  be  most  readily 
available  on  the  scene  of  action.  Large  supplies 
were  left  for  the  hospitals  at  Roanoke  Island, 
and  then  the  Commission  went  forward  with 
the  Army. 

After  the  battle,  it  found  ample  occasion  to 
bless  the  kindness  which  had  placed  it  where  it 
could  be  most  useful.  Its  stores  were  landed 
on  the  battle-field,  where,  in  many  instances,  so 
great  was  the  emergency,  so  pressing  the  de 
mand,  that  an  exhausted  Commissariat  could  not 
meet  it.  The  stores  of  the  Medical  Purveyor, 
for  which  there  was  no  transportation,  were  still 
at  Roanoke  Island,  whither  all  requisitions  had 
to  be  sent.  The  Commission  then  became,  as 
it  were,  a  necessary  department  of  the  service, 
and  the  right  arm  of  the  Medical  Director,  who 
more  than  once  acknowledged  heartily  the  timely 
relief. 

In  the  establishment  of  hospitals  at  Newbern, 
the  Commission  gave  much  assistance ;  also,  in 
the  shipment  of  wounded  for  the  North.  After 
this,  it  fell  back  into  its  steady  routine, —  that 


212  THE  UNITED   STATES 

routine  which  quietly  goes  on,  in  every  part  of 
the  land,  wherever  the  United  States  troops  are 
to  be  found,  and  which  is  only  broken  in  upon 
by  special  emergencies. 

One  little  proof  may  be  given  here  of  the 
results  of  inspection  and  respectful  advice.  The 
Inspector  found  that,  from  the  peculiarity  of 
the  soil,  the  water  was  impure,  and  filled  with 
poisonous  vegetable  decay  and  mould.  He  sub 
mitted  to  General  Burnside  a  paper  suggesting 
a  simple  means,  based  on  natural  laws,  by  which 
to  remedy  this  alarming  evil.  The  paper  was 
read  at  a  council  in  the  General's  tent,  and  the 
plan  adopted.  The  General  gave  orders  that  the 
necessary  material  should  be  supplied  the  next 
morning,  and  requested  the  Inspector  to  super 
intend  the  construction  of  as  many  wells  as  the 
various  camps  required.  Wherever  the  design 
was  faithfully  carried  out,  its  object  was  real 
ized.  It  is  refreshing  to  find  recorded,  in  a  re 
port  of  the  Inspector  some  months  later,  that 
the  hospitals  at  Newbern  were  "liberally  sup 
plied  by  the  Medical  Purveyor.  They  are,"  he 
says,  "  models  of  neatness  and  systematic  ar 
rangement  in  their  wards,  sinks,  out-houses, 
and  grounds."  And  such  they  have  continued 
to  the  present  time. 

Army  in  South  Carolina.  —  When  the  expe 
dition  to  South  Carolina  sailed  under  Captain 
Dupont,  Oct.  29,  1861,  (that  glorious  expedition 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  213 

whose  naval  fame  shall  last  forever,)  an  In 
spector  and  relief  agent  of  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission  went  with  it.  The  supply  of  medicines, 
surgical  instruments,  and  hospital  stores  fur 
nished  to  the  expedition  had  been  inadequate, 
and  the  greater  part  of  what  there  really  was 
had  been  thrown  overboard,  to  lighten  the  ship 
in  the  great  gale  which  the  fleet  encountered. 
These  deficiencies  were  most  severely  felt.  The 
abundant  supply  brought  by  Dr.  Andrews,  In 
spector  of  the  Commission,  was  more  than 
sufficient  to  meet  all  immediate  wants.  On 
his  first  arrival  at  Port  Royal,  he  found  that  an 
order  had  been  issued  for  the  vaccination  of  the 
troops,  which  could  not  be  carried  out  from  the 
impossibility  of  procuring  the  necessary  virus. 
Dr.  Andrews  had  with  him  a  sufficient  quantity 
to  complete  the  revaccination  of  the  troops,  and 
to  make  a  good  beginning  towards  protecting 
the  negroes.  Unfortunately,  no  attempt  was 
made  to  perpetuate  the  virus,  and  the  govern 
ment  supply  did  not  arrive.  The  small-pox 
accordingly  broke  out  amongst  those  negroes 
who  had  not  been  vaccinated,  giving  a  frightful 
glimpse  into  what  might  have  happened  with 
out  that  forethought  of  the  Commission. 

In  February,  1863,  in  view  of  the  impending 
struggle  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  a  corps 
of  Sanitary  Commission  Inspectors  and  relief 
agents,  composed  of  excellent  and  tried  men, 
possessed  of  experience  in  similar  fields,  was 


214  THE  UNITED   STATES 

ordered  to  proceed  at  once  to  Port  Royal,  and 
establish  a  station  at  the  nearest  possible  point 
to  the  national  forces.  On  their  arrival  they,  re 
ceived  the  approval  of  Major-General  Hunter. 
The  necessary  orders  were  issued  from  Head 
quarters  to  the  quartermaster's  and  other  de 
partments,  and  to  the  post-commander  at  Beau 
fort,  S.  C.,  where  immediate  steps  were  taken  to 
establish  the  depot  of  the  Commission. 

At  that  period,  speedy  and  extensive  military 
movements  were  impending  ;  and  the  agents  of 
the  Commission,  ambitious  that  relief  should  be 
as  prompt  within-  their  province  as  it  had  been 
on  many  memorable  battle-fields,  pressed  for 
ward  their  preparations  with  vigor  and  zeal. 
The  various  hospitals  in  Beaufort  and  Hilton 
Head  were  visited,  their  resources  and  appliances 
inquired  into,  their  wants  ascertained,,  and  the 
surgeons  in  charge  invited  (as  usual)  to  draw 
upon  the  stores  of  the  Commission  for  those 
supplies  which  they  could  not  otherwise  obtain 
for  the  comfort  of  their  men. 

For  some  time  this  regular  "  Commission  rou 
tine"  went  on.  "The  Cosmopolitan,"  a  large 
hospital  transport,  able  to  carry  400  men,  and 
held  by  the  Government  to  follow  the  move 
ments  of  the  Army,  was  furnished  liberally  from 
its  stores. 

In  no  respect  was  the  Army  at  this  time  in 
South  Carolina  as  well  supplied  as  the  other 
armies  in  the  field  ;  nor  had  the  troops  the  en- 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  215 

durance,  energy,  and  enthusiasm  that  have  dis 
tinguished  the  Armies  of  the  Potomac  and  the 
Cumberland,  in  their  alternate  triumphs  and  de 
feats.  Under  these  circumstances,  no  one  could 
contemplate  the  approaching  military  operations 
without  the  most  mournful  forebodings. 

The  sufferings  of  the  sick,  when  discharged 
from  the  service  and  sent  home,  pressed  ear 
nestly  on  the  attention  of  the  agents  of  the  Com 
mission.  They  were,  habitually,  placed  in  the 
steerage  of  the  various  boats  bound  North,  with 
out  attendants,  and  unprovided,  in  many  in 
stances,  with  even  s-traw  to  lie  upon.  Poor 
fellows  just  recovered  from  severe  illness,  or 
broken  down  by  it,  —  some  with  bed-sores  from 
long  confinement,  —  suffered  greatly.  The  Com 
mission  at  once  began  to  supply  these  men  with 
necessaries  ;  arid  having  called  the  attention  of 
General  Hunter  to  the  abuse,  it  was  reformed. 
A  medical  officer  was  sometimes  sent  with  the 
men  ;  but  from  that  time  an  orderly  was  in 
variably  detailed  to  wait  upon  them  during  the 
voyage. 

A  faithful  band  of  Commission  agents  is  at 
work  at  Beaufort  and  Hilton  Head  at  the  pres 
ent  moment,  when  all  eyes  are  turned  to  that 
spot.  The  work  is  in  charge  of  Dr.  Marsh, 
who,  witH  his  wife,  is  watching  before  Charleston 
for  those  opportunities  to  give  relief,  which  are 
a  painful  joy  to  such  as  are  engaged  in  the  ser 
vice.  During  the  summer,  vegetables  and  ice 


216  THE  UNITED   STATES 

have  been  liberally  issued  from  their  depot,  to 
gether  with  an  immense  amount  of  supplies,  sent 
chiefly  from  the  branch  depot  in  New  York.  The 
Commission  has  a  good-sized  brig,  employed 
as  a  store-ship,  stationed  with  the  fleet  in  the 
harbor  of  Charleston.  Mrs.  Marsh  writes:  "  The 
brig  sailed  from  here  on  the  8th  with  stores  which 
would  gladden  the  hearts  of  those  who  have 
friends  exposed.  The  effect  of  these  home  offer 
ings  brings  tears  to  the  eyes  and  encouragement 

to  the  hearts  of  men  ready  to  die On 

Sunday  some  200  men  were  brought  to  Hilton 
Head.  I  hear  that  the  Commission  is  operating 
very  successfully  with  men  and  appliances  sta 
tioned  at  intervals  from  the  front  to  the  hospi 
tal-ships  stationed  seven  miles  in  the  rear." 

On  the  day  of  the  first  attack  on  Fort  Wag 
ner,  the  men  were  in  fine  spirits  ;  and  the  Com 
mission,  in  the  anxious  hope  to  strengthen  them 
for  their  work,  passed  through  the  ranks  giving 
to  each  man  hot  soup  and  crackers.  Previous 
to  the  engagement  each  little  squad  of  the  Com 
mission  people  had  its  duties  assigned,  and  dis 
charged  them  in  such  a  manner  as  to  win  the 
public  approbation  of  the  U.  S.  Medical  Direc 
tor.  He  was  heard,  during  and  subsequent  to 
the  removal  of  the  wounded  to  the  ship,  to  ex 
claim,  "  God  bless  the  Sanitary  Commission  !  " 
General  Strong,  Colonel  Chatfield,  and  other 
officers  requested,  when  carried  from  the  field 
to  be  taken  to  the  quarters  of  the  Commission. 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  21 7 

The  Port  Royal  Free  Press  (an  army  news 
paper)  says  :  u  The  officers  of  the  United  States 
Sanitary  Commission  have  won  for  themselves  a 
splendid  reputation  in  this  department.  They 
have  by  their  discretion  and  zeal  saved  many 
valuable  lives.  Under  the  guns  of  Wagner,  in 
the  hottest  of  the  fire,  their  trained  corps  picked 
up  and  carried  off  the  wounded  almost  as  fast  as 
they  fell.  As  many  of  our  men  were  struck 
while  ascending  the  parapet,  and  then  rolled  into 
the  moat,  which  at  high  tide  contains  six  feet  of 
water,  they  must  inevitably  have  perished  had 
they  been  suffered  to  remain.  But  the  men  who 
were  detailed  for  service  with  Dr.  Marsh,  went 
about  their  work  with  an  intrepidity  and  cool 
ness  worthy  of  all  praise.  The  skill  'and  expe 
rience  of  the  members  of  the  Commission  have, 
since  the  battle,  been  unremittingly  employed 
to  render  comfortable  the  sick  and  wounded." 

In  a  recent  letter  from  Mrs.  Marsh,  she  says  : 
"  A  soldier  from  the  115th  New  York  came  into 
the  office  and  inquired,  « If  they  ever  paid  money 
here  ?  '  To  my  reply,  that  everything  was  gra 
tuitous,  he  answered,  '  Oh,  yes  !  I  know  that.  I 
have  never  needed  anything  myself,  but  I  have 
seen  others  made  so  comfortable  through  your 
aid  that  I  want  to  give  a  little  something  to  be 
expended  for  somebody  ; '  and  laying  down  one 
dollar  he  insisted  that  it  should  be  thus  appro 
priated.  Not  only  are  the  material  wants  of 
the  soldier  met  by  the  liberal  gifts  of  the  coun 


218  THE  UNITED   STATES 

try,  but  they  encourage  him  in  the  belief  that  he 

is  not  forgotten  in  his  toil Many  an  eye 

moistens  at  the  thought  of  this  link  which  binds 
the  battle-field  to  the  home." 

We  close  this  sketch  with  an  extract  from  a 
letter  already  published  in  a  Boston  newspaper, 
which  has  the  merit  of  impartiality,  and  with  a 
General  Order  which  speaks  for  itself. 

"  It  is  but  just  that  I  should  notice,  in  con 
nection  with  accounts  of  military  affairs  in  this 
department,  the  operations  of  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission  here,  under  direction  of  its  able  and 
efficient  manager,  Dr.  M.  M.  Marsh.  I  regret 
that  some  correspondents  have  either  entirely  ig 
nored  its  presence,  or  declined  awarding  to  it  the 
high  meed  of  praise  to  which  the  unremitting 
and  indefatigable  exertions  of  its  agents,  both 
in  camp  and  upon  the  field  of  battle,  have  so 
eminently  entitled  it.  I  cannot,  however,  do 
better  than  give  you  facts  which  speak  for  it  in 
abler  and  more  potent  language  than  I  can  com 
mand.  The  exertions  of  its  agents  for  the  pres 
ervation  of  the  health  of  our  troops  during  their 
almost  superhuman  labors  in  the  trenches  upon 
Morris  and  Folly  Islands,  as  well  as  their  timely 
and  efficient  aid  in  promoting  the  comfort  of  our 
sick  and  wounded  during  and  after  the  engage 
ments,  form  a  theme  of  praise  to  which  I  confess 
the  incompetency  of  my  pen  to  do  justice  ;  but 
if  the  securing  of  an  abundance  of  necessary 
supplies,  and  a  liberal  distribution  of  them  a11 


SANITARY  COMMISSION:  219 

each  and  every  point  where  they  were  absolutely 
indispensable,  constitute  an  element  of  success 
in  the  working  of  a  relief  association,  these 
gentlemen  have  certainly  demonstrated,  not  only 
the  wisdom  of  the  plans  of  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission,  but  the  preeminent  success  of  their 
practical  working  upon  the  fields  and  in  the 
camps  throughout  this  entire  campaign 

"  No  faithful  record  of  the  services  of  these 
gentlemen  upon  the  ever-memorable  night  of 
the  18th  of  July  ever  has  or  ever  can  be  written. 
They  seemed  ubiquitous  upon  the  field,  remov 
ing  the  wounded,  burying  the  dead,  or  staying 
the  life-current  where  the  bright  red  stain  from  a 
severed  artery  upon  the  white  sands  of  the  beach 
betokened  its  speedy  ebb  ;  and  at  the  post  hos 
pital  aiding  in  the  operations,  and  up  the  dock 
receiving  and  disposing  of  the  poor  fellows  as 
they  were  hurried  on  board,  they  seemed  every 
where  present. 

"  All  were  loud  in  their  praise,  and  by  none 
were  their  services  more  highly  appreciated  than 
by  the  medical  faculty,  with  whom  they  worked 
hand  in  hand,  and  who,  from  skilled  experience 
upon  such  occasions,  were  best  competent  to 
estimate  the  value  of  their  services." 


220  THE  U.   S.   SANITARY   COMMISSION. 


"  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  SOUTH, 

Head-quarters  in  the  Field, 
Morris  Island,  S.   C.,  September  9. 

«  General  Orders,  No.  73. 

"The  Brigadier- General  commanding  desires 
to  make  this  public  acknowledgment  of  the  ben 
efits  for  which  his  command  has  been  indebted  to 
the  United  States  Sanitary  Commission,  and  to 
express  his  thanks  to  the  gentlemen  whose 
humane  efforts,  in  procuring  and  distributing 
much-needed  articles  of  comfort,  have  so  mate 
rially  alleviated  the  sufferings  of  the  soldiers. 

"  Especial  gratitude  is  due  to  Dr.  M.  M. 
Marsh,  Medical  Inspector  of  the  Commission, 
through  whose  efficiency,  energy,  and  zeal  the 
wants  of  the  troops  have  been  promptly  ascer 
tained,  and  the  resources  of  the  Commission 
made  available  for  every  portion  of  the  Army. 

"  By  order  of  Brig.  Gen.  Q,.  A.  GILLMORE, 

"  ED.  W.  SMITH,  Asst.  Adj.  Gen. 

"  Official : 

"  J.  S.  SEALY, 

" Capt.  U.  S.  A.,  Act.  Asst.  Adj.  Gen" 


PART   III. 

DEPARTMENT  OF   SPECIAL  RELIEF. 

Tins  Department  is  organized  for  the  relief 
and  care  of  discharged  soldiers,  though  other 
work  is  connected  with  it.  It  is  under  the  direc 
tion  of  Mr.  F.  N.  Knapp,  «  Special  Relief  Agent " 
of  the  Commission.  The  Commission,  in  assist 
ing  invalid  soldiers,  has  thus  far  limited  itself 
to  the  care  of  them  whilst  they  are  in  that  inter 
mediate  condition  between  the  military  and 
civil  states,  —  no  longer  under  the  charge  of 
regimental  officers,  or  of  hospitals,  nor  yet  pro 
tected  by  their  homes.  In  this  state  the  Com 
mission,  by  its  various  agencies,  (providing  lodg 
ing-houses  and  food,  rescuing  them  from  the 
hands  of  sharpers,  collecting  pensions  and  pay, 
correcting  their  defective  papers,  giving  them 
medical  treatment  and  nursing  when  required,) 
seeks  to  be  the  guardian  of  the  soldiers  whilst 
they  are  thus  in  transitu;  endeavors  to  protect 
them  in  their  rights,  and  to  see  that  all  imme 
diate  needs  growing  out  of  their  disabled  con 
dition  are  met  by  corresponding  provision  for 
temporary  supply  and  relief.  But  the  Commis 
sion,  thus  far,  in  making  this  provision,  has 


222  THE  UNITED   STATES 

endeavored  to  limit  itself  to  the  care  of  the 
soldier  whilst  he  is  in  this  intermediate  state. 
It  takes  care  of  him  after  leaving  the  hospital; 
transacts  his  business;  puts  him  through  by 
railroad  to  his  home  :  and  here  usually  its  respon 
sibility  ends.  Now,  however,  the  question  is 
forced  upon  it,  Does  Us  work  rightly  end  here  ? 
We  turn  from  this  subject  a  while,  to  tell  the 
story  of  special  relief  up  to  this  point,  —  which 
must  open  with  the  remark,  that  the  arrange 
ments  for  this  Relief  are  becoming  daily  more 
generally  known,  applied  for,  and  appreciated 
throughout  the  Army ;  and  that  the  cooperation 
of  the  Medical  Department,  and  of  the  Quarter 
master's,  Commissary's,  and  Paymaster's  De 
partments  has  been,  if  possible,  still  more  ready 
and  cordial  than  before. 

The  first  point  to  which  we  turn  is  the  "Home  " 
in  Washington,  (on  North  Capitol  Street.) 
Its  leading  objects  are  briefly  these  :  —  To  give 
food  and  lodging,  care  and  assistance,  to  men 
who  are  honorably  discharged  from  service,  and 
who  are  afterwards  delayed  in  obtaining  their 
papers  and  pay ;  to  communicate  with  distant 
regiments  on  behalf  of  discharged  men  whose 
papers  prove  defective,  who,  without  such  succor, 
would  fall  into  the  hands  of  claim-agents,  and 
even  suffer  want ;  to  act  as  an  unpaid  agent  for 
those  too  feeble  to  present  their  own  claims  for 
pay  or  pension  at  the  paymaster's  ;  to  send  them 
by  railroad,  in  care  of  a  railway  agent  who  will 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  223 

protect  them  from  sharpers,  and  put  them 
through  to  their  destination  ;  to  see  that  dis 
charged  men  leave  at  once  for  their  homes,  not 
falling  a  prey  to  temptation  and  evil  company ; 
to  make  them  reasonably  neat  and  clean, 
and  to  furnish  them  with  the  necessary  means 
of  reaching  home,  if,  on  investigation,  their  des 
titution  and  need  is  proved ;  and  to  be  prepared 
to  meet  at  once,  with  food  arid  other  aid,  such 
necessities  as  arise  when  sick  men,  discharged 
from  service,  arrive  in  Washington  in  large 
numbers,  from  hospitals  or  distant  fields  of  ser 
vice.  The  only  condition  imposed  on  this  relief 
is,  that  each  man  shall  present  his  certificate  of 
discharge. 

In  addition  to  this  service  there  is  another,  — 
an  occasional  one.  Whenever  men  have  been 
brought  to  Washington  or  Alexandria,  in  large 
numbers,  from  battle-fields  and  hospitals,  this 
agency  has  ministered  at  once  to  their  relief. 
Not  long  since  notice  was  sent  in :  "  500  sick 
and  wounded  are  on  their  way  to  Washington 
by  the  canal-boats  ;  can  you  do  something  for 
them  ? "  By  the  time  the  boats  arrived,  the 
special  relief  agents  were  ready  with  a  wagon- 
load  of  supplies,  —  bitterly  needed,  as  it  chanced ; 
for  the  men  had  come  through  a  country  full  of 
guerrillas,  no  supplies  had  reached  them,  and 
they  were  destitute  of  everything. 

At  the  present  moment  the  "  Home  "  is  larger 
than  it  has  ever  been.  A  new  building  has  been 


224  THE   UNITED   STATES 

added,  and  it  now  makes  up  320  beds,  including 
the  hospital,  where  such  as  are  reduced  by 
disease  are  kept  until  they  are  able  to  travel. 
Frequently  they  are  too  far  gone  to  make  even 
the  care  bestowed  upon  them  available  to  save 
life.  The  record,  for  a  period  of  nine  months, 
sadly  shows  that  935  very  sick  men  were  re 
ceived  during  that  time,  of  which  number  sixty- 
one  died. 

A  visit  to  this  "  Home"  will  indeed  repay  the 
visitor.  Its  condition  does  credit  to  the  Super 
intendent,  —  a  frank,  cheerful  man,  with  a  look 
of  kindly  but  keen  intelligence.  The  beds  are 
all  clean,  and  ready  for  their  night's  occupants ; 
there  is  a  cheerful  reading-room;  several  bath 
rooms  ;  a  convenient  wash-room ;  a  baggage- 
room,  where  the  knapsacks  are  ticketed  and  put 
away,  with  a  care  which  many  fine  general 
hospitals  would  do  well  to  imitate  ;  and,  lastly, 
on  the  ground-floor,  is  a  large  and  lofty  room,  — 
the  hospital,  where  the  men  seem  resting,  not 
only  from  bodily  anguish,  but,  for  the  brief 
moment  of  their  sojourn  there,  resting  in  the 
sense  that  a  care  is  over  them  which  puts  aside 
their  own  anxieties.  No  one  can  look  at  the 
sweet,  grave  face  of  the  matron  (one  who  did 
her  part  in  the  Peninsular  campaign)  and  see 
her  work,  without  comprehending  the  senti 
ments  of  these  men,  expressed  oftentimes  with 
the  pathos  which  this  war  has  taught  us  to  heai 
as  an  every-day  sound.  The  diary  of  the  pres- 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  225 

ent  physician  of  the  "  Home,"  Dr.  Smith,  tells 
many  little  stories  such  as  this :  —  "  One  of  the 
men  said  to  me,  whilst  sitting  in  the  hospital 
and  looking  upon  the  completion  of  arrangements 
for  his  departure,  '  Doctor,  I  have  been  so  kindly 
treated  here,  and  been  helped  so  much  more 
than  at  any  time*  since  my  sickness,  that  I'm 
afraid  to  go  beyond  that  door.'  " 

There  is  one  sad  thought  connected  with  this 
"  Home  "  to  those  who  know  its  history.  It  is 
the  death  of  Dr.  Grymes,  its  first  physician. 
He,  too,  served  on  the  Peninsula,  as  surgeon 
of  "  The  Daniel  Webster"  transport;  and  the 
constant  thought  of  those  who  looked  at  the 

o 

energy  of  that  frail  body,  and  saw  the  inward 
fire  that  consumed  it,  was,  that  he  knew  he  was 
a  dying  man,  and  would  alleviate  death  and 
sufferinsr  in  others  so  long  as  life  was  in  him. 

O  o 

And  the  feeling  was  just.  After  the  campaign, 
he  returned  to  his  old  service  at  the  "  Home." 
His  house  was  but  a  few  paces  off,  and  he  con 
tinued  to  come  to  his  work  until  it  took  him 
more  than  half  an  hour  to  get  over  those  few 
paces.  Then  he  died. 

From  December,  1862,  to  October  1st,  1863, 
7187  persons  have  been  received  into  this 
"  Home."  Since  it  opened,  86,986  nights'  lodg 
ings  have  been  furnished,  and  331,315  meals 
provided.  "  Homes "  of  the  same  description 
are  maintained  by  the  Commission,  and  con 
ducted  in  an  admirable  manner,  at  Boston, 

15 


226  THE   UNITED   STATES 

Nashville,  Cairo,  Memphis,  Louisville,  Cleve 
land,  and  Cincinnati.  Since  they  were  estab 
lished,  (Cincinnati,  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
efficient,  excepted,)  the  whole  number  of  nights' 
lodgings  furnished  by  these  "Homes"  of  the 
Commission  amounts  to  198,963;  the  number 
of  meals  furnished,  to  659,160. 

In  Washington,  lesser  Homes,  or  "  Lodges," 
have  been  maintained  in  the  vicinity  of  railroads. 
Lodge  No.  2  was  discontinued,  as  no  longer 
needed,  after  it  had  furnished  1500  beds  and 
2130  meals.  Lodge  No.  3  was  likewise  closed 
after  furnishing  3760  beds  and  17,960  meals. 
Lodge  No.  4  has  been  lately  established,  and  is 
immediately  connected  with  the  Paymaster's 
Department.  Up  to  October  1st,  1863,  it  had  fur 
nished  9832  beds  and  50,096  meals.  This  Lodge 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting.  Its  cheerful 
white-washed  buildings  cluster  around  a  planked 
court,  brightened  at  the  corners  with  little 
squares  of  turf,  and  leading  at  one  end  to  the 
large  waiting-room  of  the  United  States  Pay 
Department.  Making  the  circuit  of  the  court, 
and  looking  into  its  various  little  houses,  we 
come  first  upon  the  "  Pension  Office,"  and  then 
upon  the  "  Ticket  Office,"  and  so  into  the  store 
room,  with  its  hanging  rows  of  hams  and  bacon  ; 
lockers  of  tea,  sugar,  and  all  that 's  nice ;  next 
into  the  kitchen,  clean  and  savory ;  then  into 
the  dining-room  with  a  capital  meal  upon  the 
table,  —  and  lo !  a  table-cloth  and  china  cups, 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  227 

first  waft  of  home:  —  and  so  round  into  the 
Special  Relief  Office,  with  its  ledgers  and  letter- 
books, —  the  grave  explanation  of  the  rest.  To 
this  office  are  now  sent  from  the  Pay  Depart 
ment  (hitherto  the  Commission  has  had  to  hunt 
them  up)  all  those  soldiers,  who,  by  reason  of 
defective  papers,  &c.,  &c.,  cannot  draw  their 
pay.  The  case  is  noted,  the  man  cheered  and 
fed,  lodged  if  necessary,  and  perhaps  righted  at 
once.  If  his  difficulties  are  great,  involving  a 
long  correspondence,  (sometimes  ten  letters  are 
written  to  clear  up  one  case,)  he  is  sent  to  his 
home,  leaving  his  care  upon  the  Commission. 
And  as  he  leaves  the  Relief  Office,  some  one 
takes  him  across  the  planked  court  to  the  ticket 
office,  where  he  is  checked  through  to  his  home 
at  half  price ;  and  so  good-bye  to  him.  The 
last  mention  of  his  name  will  be  found  a 
week  or  two  later  on  the  letter-book,  in  some 
such  record  as  this :  — 

"  PETER  JONES  :  Sir, —  Please  find  your  dis 
charge  and  draft  for  $177,  being  the  amount 
of  your  pay.  Please  acknowledge  and  oblige 

"J.  B.  ABBOTT, 
"Assistant  Special  Relief  Agent" 

Connected  with  this  Lodge  is  the  Pension 
Agency,  which  has  been  in  operation  for 
eight  months  past,  with  branches  in  Philadel 
phia,  Boston,  Chicago,  Louisville,  and  Cincinnati. 
The  Examining- Surgeon  and  Director  were  both 


228  THE  UNITED   STATES 

appointed  by  the  United  States  Comrnissionet 
of  Pensions.  The  services  rendered  to  the  sol 
dier  are  entirely  gratuitous  in  Washington  and 
Philadelphia,  but  in  Boston  there  is  a  small 
charge,  the  organization  there  not  having  orig 
inated  in  the  Commission.  This  agency  has 
proved  most  beneficent  in  many  ways ;  it.  has 
saved  to  the  soldiers  already  an  aggregate  ex 
pense  of  $7000,  and  has  rescued  them  from 
imposition  and  from  a  vast  amount  of  trouble 
and  anxiety. 

Another  service  rendered  to  the  soldier  is  the 
collection  of  his  "  back-pay."  It  was  found  that 
many  men  in  hospital,  wTith  families  sorely  in 
need  of  as  much  as  they  could  give  them,  were 
unable  to  obtain  what  was  due  to  them ;  or,  at 
least,  that  it  was  so  tied  up  as  to  be  beyond 
their  power  to  collect  it.  An  agent  of  the  Com 
mission  authorized  by  the  Paymaster's  Depart 
ment,  has  entered  on  the  work  of  investigation 
and  the  removal  of  difficulties.  In  the  Stanton 
Hospital  alone,  the  back-pay  of  fifty-six  men, 
thus  procured,  in  one  week  amounted  to 
$3008.96,  almost  every  dollar  of  which  was 
sent  to  their  families.  "  Cast  your  bread  upon 
the  waters  and  ye  shall  find  it  after  many  days," 
might  be  the  thought  of  some  of  those  wives 
and  mothers  who  had  given  their  mite  to  the 
Commission. 

Lodge  No.  5,  near  6th  Street  Wharf,  is  a  little 
place  memorable  for  great  things  :  giving  food 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  229 

to  the  sick  and  wounded  arriving  by  boat  from 
Acquia  Creek,  and  furnishing  supplies  to  such 
boats,  returning  for  fresh  loads  of  wounded,  as. 
had  no  suitable  provision  for  feeding  the  men 
on  board.  An  ambulance  is  kept  at  this  Lodge 
to  take  the  men  to  the  "  Home."  The  Superin 
tendent  visits  each  boat  as  it  arrives,  and  renders 
immediate  assistance  to  the  sick  and  wounded. 
No  true  account  can  of  course  be  kept  of  issues 
like  these  ;  but  on  the  15th  and  16th  of  June, 
1863,  it  is  recorded,  in  the  Superintendent's  re 
ports,  that  the  number  of  men  met  at  the  land 
ing,  and  refreshed  with  a  meal,  was  over  five 
thousand  ;  and  amongst  them  several  hundred 
seriously  wounded. 

The  next  Lodge  is  at  the  junction  of  the 
Washington  and  Alexandria  and  Orange  Rail 
roads.  Colonel  Devereux,  Superintendent  of  the 
road,  telegraphs  to  Washington  when  trains  are 
starting  with  wounded,  so  that  the  Lodge  may 
be  ready  to  receive  them  as  they  arrive.  Before 
this  arrangement  was  made,  the  effect  of  mov 
ing  badly  wounded  men,  after  such  a  journey, 
without  fortifying  them  with  food  or  stimulants, 
was  so  disastrous  that  many  fainted  from  ex-, 
haustion  ;  and  of  ninety  men  who  were  thus 
taken  on  one  occasion  to  the  Stanton  Hospital, 
four  died  in  a  few  hours,  and  one  dropped  dead 
as  he  tried  to  reach  his  bed. 

Another  lodge,  called  the  "  Soldier's  Rest,"  is 
in  Alexandria,  "  the  gateway  of  the  Army  of ; 


230  THE  UNITED   STATES 

the  Potomac,"*  —  at  the  terminus  of  the  same 
railroad,  —  established  to  succor  and  shelter  the 
sick  and  wounded,  who  are  frequently  detained 
at  that  point  before  they  can  be  transported  to 
Washington.  Since  its  establishment,  in  August, 
1863,  to  October  1st,  the  number  of  lodgings 
furnished  was  604  ;  of  meals,  5980. 

There  is  also  a  relief  station  of  the  Com 
mission,  of  great  importance,  at  the  Convales 
cent  Camp  in  Alexandria  ;  it  is  managed  effi 
ciently  and  successfully  by  Miss  Bradley,  once 
in  charge  of  the  "  Home."  She  has  the  coop 
eration  and  confidence  of  all  the  officers  of  the 
post.  Her  ambulances  come  daily  into  Wash 
ington,  bringing  discharged  men,  whom  she 
accompanies  to  the  Pay  and  Pension  Offices, 
or  to  the  railroads.  Within  four  months  she 
has  thus  brought  in  men  whose  pay  amounted 
to  more  than  $100,000. 

As  the  old  Convalescent  Camp  (Camp  Misery, 
it  was  called)  has  brought  such  dishonor  upon 
the  name,  it  will  not  be  superfluous  to  speak 
of  the  condition  of  the  present  one.  In  Decem 
ber,  1862,  orders  were  issued  to  break  up  the 
old  camp  and  prepare  the  ground  for  another. 
The  present  matron  applied  at  once  to  be  sent 
there  as  Sanitary  Commission  Agent.  When 

*  This  was  the  favorite  expression  of  the  faithful  superin 
tendent  of  this  lodge,  James  Richardson,  who  died  Nov.  12th, 
1863,  from  the  hard,  unceasing  labor  which  he  gave  to  his 
duties. 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  231 

she  arrived,  there  were  one  thousand  men  on  the 
ground,  and  no  tents  pitched.  Her  first  act  was 
the  distribution  of  clothing ;  her  next,  to  get  two 
large  hospital  tents  pitched,  into  which  the  sick 
est  men  were  taken.  This  hospital  she  kept  up 
till  April,  when  the  barracks  were  completed. 
One  hundred  and  twenty-three  sick  men  were 
admitted  during  that  time,  nursed  and  made 

O  / 

comfortable  ;  the  Commission  supplying  clothes, 
chickens,  butter,  farina,  brandy,  everything  in 
fact  but  the  ordinary  ration.  In  the  beginning 
of  January,  a  new  commander  of  the  post,  Col 
onel  McKelvey,  and  a  new  surgeon  in  charge, 
arrived  ;  and,  from  that  time,  rapid  improvements 
have  been  made,  until  those  who  now  visit  the 
ground  are  made  to  forget  the  horrible  reproach 
attaching  to  the  name  of  "  Convalescent  Camp." 
Still,  no  one  can  go  there,  even  now,  without 
perceiving  the  curse  which  is  upon  all  convales 
cent  men  in  hospital,  —  the  curse  of  having 
nothing  to  do. 

The  last  branch  of  Special  Relief  which  we 
shall  name  here  (there  are  others)  is  the  u  Nurses' 
Home":  of  which  there  is  one  in  Washington 

'  O 

and  one  in  Annapolis,  where  women-nurses  sick 
and  weary  for  the  time  can  rest.  These  houses 
have  become  lodges  for  the  wives  and  mothers 
of  men  in  hospital,  who  frequently  come  to 
Washington  or  Annapolis  without  thought  of 
cost,  and  considering  nothing  but  the  dear  face 
to  be  seen  at  the  end  of  their  journey.  Utterly 


232  THE  UNITED  STATES 

destitute,  helpless,  sometimes  broken-hearted, 
they  are  found  by  the  Commission,  which  re 
ceives  and  shelters  them  in  the  "  Nurses'  Home." 
This  has  proved,  in  its  working,  one  of  the  kind 
est  charities  of  the  Commission. 

Over  all  this  work  of  Special  Relief,  spreading 
through  the  West  and  going  off  in  other  direc 
tions  not  mentioned  here,  presides  a  man  whose 
soul  is  in  it, —  whose  soul  is  of  it, —  whose 
spirit  is  shed  upon  those  under  him,  until,  next 
to  their  desire  to  do  their  duty  to  the  cause, 
comes,  with  love  and  reverence,  the  wish  to  be 
like  him. 

And  now  let  us  ask,  Does  the  work  of  the 
Commission  to  discharged  men  end  here  ?  The 
subject  is  one  on  which  the  Commission,  as  we 
have  said,  has  thought  long  and  anxiously.  A 
large  collection  of  data  upon  the  point  of  what 
becomes  of  the  soldier  from  the  time  when  the 
Government  and  the  Commission  leave  him, 
shows  that  the  time  is  at  hand  when  some  wise 
provision  for  the  employment  and  support  of 
discharged  and  disabled  soldiers  must  be  had, 
or  a  large  class  of  mendicants  will  have  estab 
lished  their  necessity  and  their  right  to  live  upon 
the  charity  of  the  people.  At  the  present  mo 
ment  the  Government  has  relieved  the  imme 
diate  pressure  of  the  question  by  forming  an 
Invalid  Corps  for  service  in  hospitals  and  garri 
sons  ;  but  the  time  is  perhaps  near  when  the 
Sanitary  Commission,  once  more  called  upon 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  233 

by  the  voice  of  the  people,  must  charge  itself 
with  a  duty  left  to  it  by  the  recoil  of  war.  This 
is  its  work  in  the  distant  future  ;  but  thought 
and  action  upon  it  must  not  be  delayed  too 
long,  or  the  evils  to  be  averted  will  be  upon  us. 
It  is  of  the  utmost  consequence  to  begin  now 
to  create  a  public  opinion,  which  shall  compel 
the  adoption  of  the  wisest  policy  in  municipal 
and  State  governments,  with  respect  to  disabled 
soldiers,  so  as  to  discourage  all  favor  to  men 
dicity,  all  allowance  of  exceptional  license  to 
men  who  have  been  soldiers,  all  disposition  of 
invalids  to  throw  themselves,  any  further  than 
is  inevitable,  on  the  support  and  protection  of 
society. 

This  subject  is  one  on  which  we  would  fain 
pause  to  dwell  at  length  ;  but  our  limits  will 
not  allow  it.  A  few,  however,  of  the  leading 
thoughts  connected  with  it  may  be  briefly  given. 

First :  The  first  obvious  law  of  public  opin 
ion  should  be  to  deal  with  the  question  accord 
ing  to  the  nature  and  principles  of  the  Amer 
ican  people ;  to  encourage  and  save  the  spirit 
of  independence ;  to  preserve  the  self-respect 
and  the  homely  graces  and  virtues  of  the  peo 
ple,  on  which  all  the  real  dignity  and  strength 
of  the  nation  rest. 

Secondly  :  To  make  the  subject  a  National 
and  not  a  State  question.  A  war  against  State 
pretensions  should  not  end  without  strengthening 
in  every  way  the  Federal  influence.  This  war 


234  THE  UNITED   STATES 

is  a  struggle  for  national  existence ;  we  have 
found  a  national  heart  and  life  and  body.  Now 
let  us  cherish  it. 

Thirdly  :  fo  avoid  the  danger  of  interfering 
with  natural  laws  —  a  thing  not  to  be  tolerated  in 
our  young  and  healthy  country  —  by  any  scheme 
of  herding  the  invalids  of  war  in  public  institu 
tions.  Such  schemes  would  strike  a  blow  at 
domestic  order  and  the  sacred  ness  of  home 
affections,  whilst  they  would  take  from  the  sol 
dier  that  spirit  of  independence  which  is  his 
birthright  and  his  safety.  We  do  not  want  a 
vast  network  of  Soldiers'  Poor-houses  scat 
tered  through  the  land,  in  which  these  brave 
fellows  will  languish  away  dull,  idle,  and 
wretched  lives.  But  we  want  —  and  this  is 
the  last  general  idea  which  shall  be  stated  here : 
we  want  — 

Fourthly  :  An  endeavor  to  promote  the 
healthy  absorption  of  the  invalid  class  into 
their  own  homes,  and  into  the  ordinary  industry 
of  the  country  ;  thereto  live  and  labor  according 
to  their  remaining  strength, —  sustained,  honored, 
and  blessed  by  their  own  kindred  and  com 
munity. 

The  Sanitary  Commission,  deeply  impressed 
with  the  importance  of  this  subject,  is  spending 
thought  and  study  upon  it.  For  the  purposes  of 
instruction,  it  has  induced  Mr.  Stephen  H.  Per 
kins,  of  Boston,  to  prepare,  during  a  recent  visit 
abroad,  a  report  on  the  pension  systems  and 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  235 

invalid  hospitals  on  the  continent  of  Europe. 
This  report  has  been  a  most  painstaking  work, 
and  is  of  great  and  lasting  value.  Associate 
members  of  the  Commission  are  also  engaged 
in  studying  the  question  in  its  American  rela 
tions  and  bearings. 

In  November,  1882,  the  Hospital  Directory, 
already  alluded  to,  (page  95,)  was  complete 
for  the  hospitals  in  the  District  of  Columbia, 
and  the  total  number  of  names  registered  was 
19,084.  Encouraged  by  the  good  attained,  the 
business  was  enlarged,  until  in  June,  1863,  the 
Directory  embraced  the  sick  and  wounded  sol 
diers  in  every  general  hospital  throughout  the 
land,  —  in  all  233  hospitals.  The  number  of 
names  on  record,  after  the  system  was  fully  es 
tablished,  was  215,221. 

The  total  number  of  inquiries  received  in  a 
period  of  six  months  for  the  Washington  Office, 
four  months  for  the  Western  Office,  and  ten 
weeks  for  the  New  York  and  Philadelphia 
Branches,  was  9494.  Of  these  inquiries  no 
record  is  kept,  but  that  of  the  simple  fact,  "  One 
question,  —  one  answer  "  ;  and  what  a  history 
of  loss  and  misery  and  wild  joy  is  hidden  be 
neath  that  business  record  ! 

A  letter  comes  inquiring  for  twro  nephews; 
and  closes  with  the  assertion,  "  These  are  two  out 
of  fourteen  nephews  that  I  have  no  account 
of  since  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg."  Of  the 


236  THE  UNITED   STATES 

two  thus  inquired  for,  one  was  found  in  hospi 
tal  ;  of  the  other  no  tidings  were  received. 

A  mother  expresses  "  unceasing  gratitude  " 
for  the  information  that  her  son  is  "  doing  well." 
A  father,  who  enters  the  office  with  hopeful, 
trembling  inquiry,  sinks  with  audible  gasp  into 
a  chair  on  receiving  the  announcement,  from 
which  there  is  no  escape,  that  his  son  is  lost  to 
him  and  to  the  country;  while  another  evinces 
almost  equal  emotion  on  being  told  that  his  boy 
is  in  the  Craven  Hospital. 

A  young  wife  is  sent  to  the  Office  to  obtain 
a  recommendation  for  a  pass  to  visit  her  hus 
band  within  the  lines  of  the  Army.  She  is  im 
patient  at  the  "  senseless  delay  "  of  consulting 
the  records  for  his  name;  she  "knows  he  is  in 
Nashville ;  —  please  write  the  pass  at  once." 
"Are  you  sure  he  is  there?"  "Yes,"  impa 
tiently.  "  You  would  have  no  objection  to  meet 
him  here  ?  "  "  You  are  playing  with  me,  sir  ;  give 
me  the  pass."  "  You  do  not  want  it.  Here  are 
directions  by  which  you  will  find  your  husband 
in  the  next  street."  If  an  accident  had  not 
brought  her  to  the  office,  she  would  have  taken 
a  painful  and  expensive  journey,  and  would, 
probably,  have  missed  him,  after  all. 

Sometimes  it  needs  a  strong  faith  in  the  pos 
itive  good  done  by  this  agency  to  endure  the 
sight  of  what  it  reveals.  Only  a  few  weeks 
since,  a  soldier  in  hospital  at  Nashville  wrote 
to  his  wife  that  he  was  very  sick,  and  she  must 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  237 

come  to  him.  Two  days  later  he  was  transfer 
red  to  Louisville,  but  his  letter  advising  her  of 
the  change  was  lost.  It  did  not  reach  her.  So 
she  leaves  home  ;  passes  one  night  in  Louis 
ville,  and  goes  to  Nashville  ;  there  she  learns 
that  he  has  left.  She  returns  only  to  find  that 
he  died  at  midnight,  on  the  very  night  which 
she  had  passed  in  that  city.  Had  she  gone  to 
the  Directory  there,  she  might  have  once  held 
him,  still  living,  in  her  arms. 

An  old,  old  man  enters  the  office.  He  has 
travelled  from  Northern  Ohio  to  meet  his  son 
in  Louisville.  He  has  been  told  to  inquire  at 
the  Sanitary  Commission  Rooms  for  direction 
to  the  hospital  which  contains  him.  While  the 
clerk  turns  to  the  book,  he  chats  of  his  son,  of 
home,  and  of  the  different  articles  in  his  carpet 
bag,  put  in,  he  tells  them,  by  the  mother  and 
sisters  at  home.  He  is  all  animation  and  happy 
confidence.  He  seems  at  the  very  door  of  the 
realization  of  his  hope.  The  record  is  brought, 
—  "  Died"  that  very  morning.  One  question, — 
one  answer ! 

The  cost  of  keeping  up  this  Directory  is  about 
$1500  a  month,  and  the  Sanitary  Commission 
has  lately  discussed  the  propriety  of  discontin 
uing  it  on  the  ground  of  expense.  But  for  the 
present  it  cannot  bring  itself  to  stop  a  work 
which  is  helping  tens  of  thousands  to  find  their 
lost  ones,  and  spares  them  cost,  suffering,  and 
the  bitterness  of  suspense. 


238  THE  UNITED   STATES 

CONCLUSION. 

The  first  question  that  we  ask  as  our  story 
closes,  and  the  deeds  of  the  Commission  lie 
mapped  before  us,  is  one  about  its  supplies, — 
What  have  really  been  its  means  for  its  work  ? 

Some  of  us,  perhaps,  have  said,  in  words  or 
in  thought,  The  Commission  is  making  constant 
appeals :  what  can  it  do  with  all  it  gets  ?  But 
now  that  we  have  had  a  glimpse  of  its  work,  are 
we  not  inclined  to  change  the  question,  and  ask, 
—  Has  it  really  had  supplies  enough  to  carry  on 
these  gigantic  operations  ?  How  has  it  done  so 
much  ? 

It  can  be  said  in  reply  that  the  gratitude  of 
the  Sanitary  Commission  towards  the  People  — 
which  has  called  it  into  existence,  given  it  the 
breath  of  .life,  and  never  ceased  to  pour  into  it 
both  strength  and  power  —  is  not  to  be  ex 
pressed  in  words.  But  it  cannot  be  said  that 
the  Sanitary  Commission  has  never  been  pinched 
nor  hindered  in  its  work  by  the  want  of  means. 
It  cannot  be  said  that  the  Sanitary  Commission 
has  done  all  it  might  have  done.  Do  we  won 
der,  therefore,  that,  as  it  stood  on  many  a  battle 
field,  and  saw  anguish  that  it  could  not  reach, 
death  that  it  could  not  stay,  it  has  turned  in 
anxious  and  burning  appeals  towards  the  coun 
try  ?  For  the  most  part,  those  appeals  have  been 
answered.  Yet  it  would  not  be  the  truth  which 
this  book  aims  to  tell,  if  the  fact  were  withheld 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  239 

that  the  Sanitary  Commission  is  in  want  of 
means.  Oar  purpose,  however,  is  with  the  past, 
and  we  turn  back  to  tell,  with  gratitude,  all 
that  which  has  been  done. 

In  a  recent  letter  to  the  Branches  from  the 
Assistant  Secretary,  Mr.  Bloor,  the  following 
particulars  are  given,  which  will  very  properly 
open  what  can  here  be  said  upon  the  subject:  — 

"  In  reviewing  our  labors  in  the  past,  and  an 
ticipating  our  prospects  for  the  future,  it  cannot 
fail  to  afford  matter  of  remark  and  congratula 
tion,  to  realize  the  extraordinary  support  and 
confidence  which  has  been  extended  to  the  Com 
mission,  and  through  it  to  the  national  cause, 
by  the  loyal  women  of  the  country.  For,  while 
money  has  been  freely  provided  for  its  treasury 
by  the  rich  men  of  the  country,  from  the  Pacific 
to  the  Atlantic  coast,  the  articles  of  clothing, 
and  the  delicacies  in  the  way  of  food,  provided 
by  the  women,  —  rich  and  poor  alike,  —  have 
tenfold  exceeded,  in  cash  value,  the  donations 
of  the  former.  And  it  will  perhaps  encourage 
your  correspondents  to  know,  what  I  can  assure 
them  is  the  truth,  that,  of  some  twenty  thousand 
cases  of  invoiced  goods,  some  of  them  contain 
ing  articles  valued  at  several  hundreds  of  dol 
lars,  which  have  been  forwarded  to  this  depot  of 
the  Commission,  (Washington,)  not  more  than 
one  or  two  have  failed  to  reach  us  ;  and  it  may 
also  be  satisfactory  to  know,  that  the  proportion 
of  money  expenditure  made  by  the  Commission  • 


240  THE   UNITED   STATES 

for  the  various  purposes  of  the  remuneration  of 
its  employes,  rents,  freight,  postage,  &c.,  and  all 
other  incidental  outlays,  does  not  amount  to 
more  than  three  per  cent,  on  the  cash  value  of 
the  distributions  made,  through  its  agency,  to 
the  soldiers  of  the  country.  The  losses  by  acci 
dent  or  casualties  of  war  have  been  so  trifling 
as  scarcely  to  be  named.  With  regard  to  the 
losses  by  dishonesty  of  agents,  surgeons,  stew 
ards,  nurses,  and  soldiers,  I  can  only  say  that 
every  charge  of  this  kind  made  to  this  office  has 
been  followed  up,  and  has,  in  every  instance, 
fallen  through  at  one  step  or  another  of  the 
investigation." 

To  arrive  at  an  exact  estimate  of  the  value 
of  the  goods  which  have  been  contributed  to  the 
Commission  since  its  organization,  would  re 
quire  more  material  than  is  available  or  neces 
sary  for  a  sketch  like  this.  But  an  approximate 
estimate  has  been  made,  in  a  late  report  of  the 
Assistant  Secretary?  from  which  it  can  be  stated 
that  the  gifts  of  the  women  of  the  country,  made 
through  the  Sanitary  Commission,  exceed  in 
value  the  sum  of  $7,000,000.  Every  woman 
who  reads  this  book,  thinking,  perhaps,  how 
little  she  has  done  for  the  Commission,  sees 
here  the  vast  result  she  has  aided  to  obtain. 

There  is  another  source  of  generous  assistance 
which  must  not  pass  unrecorded  ;  namely,  the 
material  aid  given  to  the  Commission  by  many 
of  the  business  firms  and  companies  with  which, 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  241 

in  various  ways,  it  comes  in  contact.  Many  of 
the  express  companies,  both  East  and  West, 
carry  its  goods  either  free  of  charge  or  at  re 
duced  rates,  and  the  telegraph  is  free  to  its  use 
all  over  the  land.  Its  name  is  a  password  to 
constant  generosity  of  this  kind.  And  even 
this  book  owes  much  to  the  liberality  of  its 
publishers,  —  especially  to  that  of  Mr.  Augus 
tus  Flagg,  a  member  of  the  firm  ;  to  whom  is 
owing  the  fact  that  its  entire  profits  go  to  the 
treasury  of  the  Sanitary  Commission. 

The  whole  amount,  in  money,  received  by  the 
Treasurer  of  the  Sanitary  Commission,  from  its 
organization  to  the  1st  of  October,  1863,  amounts 
to  $857,715.33  ;  of  this  sum  $501,101  was  re- 
ceived  from  California.  For  the  six  months 
ending  October  1st,  1863,  the  receipts  were 
$115,752.42.  The  disbursements  for  the  same 
period  were  $281,099.15. 

It  is  clear,  therefore,  that  fresh  moneyed  strength 
must  be  given  to  the  Commission,  or  its  work 
must  be  cut  down.  This  question  is,  perhaps,  the 
heaviest  weight  upon  the  minds  of  the  Commis 
sion  ;  for,  although  the  supplies  have,  of  late, 
diminished  sensibly,  it  is  felt  that  they  are  always 
comparatively  secure :  but  without  the  money 
to  place  them  where  they  are  needed,  even  they 
will  prove  comparatively  inefficient,  and  become 
reduced  in  actual  value. 

16 


242  THE   UNITED   STATES 

From  this  subject  we  turn  to  one  which  stands, 
perhaps,  in  juxtaposition  to  it,  in  the  minds  of 
many;  namely,  to  complaints  against  the  San 
itary  Commission,  its  administration,  its  agents, 
and  its  use  of  the  public  gifts,  which  are  heard 
from  time  to  time.  This  is  a  subject  which  the 
Sanitary  Commission  declines  to  enter  upon 
controversially.  In  some  few  cases,  a  brief 
reply  has  been  made ;  but,  as  a  rule,  it  has  con 
tented  itself  with  asking  that  all  complaints 
be  brought  to  it  for  temperate  examination,  and, 
if  need  be,  for  correction.  Many  of  them  have 
proved  to  be  unfounded;  many  more  could  never 
be  induced  to  come  into  the  daylight  of  investi 
gation.  There  is  one  class  of  complaint,  how 
ever,  which  is  incapable  either  of  proof  or  of 
refutation  ;  but  as  the  writer  claims  to  have  the 
ability  of  giving  it  its  true  answer,  it  will  be 
mentioned  here. 

A  painful  and  anxious  note  was  lately  received 
at  the  central  office,  in  Washington,  from  a 
lady  deeply  engaged  in  one  of  its  branches,  en 
closing  a  letter  from  the  secretary  of  an  auxiliary 
society.  The  letter  was  as  follows  :  — 

"  Much  commotion  is  caused  here  by  the  re 
turn  of  soldiers  who  are  feeble,  who  have  got 
a  furlough  for  ill  health.  They  report  great 
neglect  in  the  hospitals.  One  gentleman  in 
particular,  —  one  of  our  townsmen,  a  man  whose 
good  word  goes  a  great  way  —  is  believed*  in 
short.  He  says  the  sick  and  wounded  do  not 


SANITARY   COMMISSION.  243 

get  the  luxuries  and  delicacies  sent  to  them,  and 
designed  by  the  donors  expressly  for  them.  He 
was  sick  in  a  hospital  in  Washington,  and  would 
have  died  had  he  stayed  there.  He  has  perfect 
confidence  in  the  surgeon  in  charge,  but  distrusts 
the  steward.  He  says,  sick  as  they  were,  they 
never  saw  a  delicacy.  A  sick  man,  getting  well, 
needs  something  besides  a  piece  of  salt  pork 

and  dry  bread  for  his  dinner All  the 

luxuries  he  saw,  were,  as  he  passed  through  the 
steward's  room,  and  found  his  table  loaded  with 
luxuries,  jellies,  dried  fruits,  &c.  Knowing  his 
wife,  at  home,  engaged  in  the  preparation  of 
these  things  for  the  sick  and  wounded,  he  thought 
he  might  have  chanced  to  get  something  from 
her  hands  (comforting  thought  to  the  sick  sol 
dier!)  

"  Now,  I  ask,  where  were  all  the  delicacies 
designed  for  the  sick  ?  Where  did  that  steward 
get  so  much  for  his  own  table  ?  There  are  some 
places,  near  here,  which  have  done  nobly,  and 
are  now  doing  nothing,  because  of  these  things. 

We  have  some  that  won't  do  anything, 

for  the  reason  above ;  some  that  are  willing  to 
do,  even  if  the  poor  soldier  gets  only  half;  others 
who  mean  to  send  what  they  have  to  give  else 
where.  I  have  battled  these  reports  so  long 
that  it  is  folly  to  do  so  any  more." 

It  is  certainly  a  coincidence  that  a  few  days 
before  the  lady  of  the  branch  enclosed  this  let 
ter  to  the  central  office,  her  mother  was  at  a 


244  THE  UNITED   STATES 

hospital  where  the  writer  was  in  charge  of  a 
department.  This  lady  requested  the  writer  to 
obtain  for  her  some  of  the  "  Mess-Hall  diet," 
that  she  might  herself  judge  if  it  was  good.  An 
orderly  was  despatched  over  the  way  to  the  Mess 
Hall,  where  the  men  were  at  dinner.  When  the 
diet  was  brought,  she  ate  it  with  enjoyment  and 
praise,  and,  in  fact,  dined  upon  it.  Whilst  she 
was  eating  it,  the  writer  was  called  out  to  speak 
to  a  patient :  "  If  you  please,  ma'am,"  said  he, 
u  do  give  me  an  order  for  something  out  of  the 
diet-kitchens ;  I  can't  eat  such  stuff  as  we  had  in 
the  Mess  Hall  to-day."  That  patient  was  a  per 
fectly  conscientious,  reliable  man,  who  will  leave 
the  hospital  under  the  idea  that  the  food  was 
execrable. 

In  the  same  hospital,  on  a  regularly  recurring 
day,  a  certain  stew  was  prepared  for  dinner.  It 
was  thoroughly  good,  and  better  than  anything 
that  appeared  on  the  table  of  any  of  the  officers 
of  the  post.  When  the  day  for  it  came  round, 
the  detail  of  men  appointed  to  draw  the  extra 
and  special  diet  would  say  to  the  woman  in 
charge  of  the  kitchen :  "  What  is  it  to-day  ? 
Wednesday  - —  S-t-e-w,"  —  (and  we  all  know 
how  the  intonation  can  be  made  to  rhyme  with 
"  eugh  !  "  and  "  pugh  !  ")  "  then  give  us  the  tea 
and  the  pudding,  for  our  men  won't  eat  that" 
And,  true  enough,  they  would  actually  go  with 
out  it. 

In  this  lies  the  real  answer  to  the  letter  which 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  245 

we  have  quoted.  So  long  as  our  men  are  brought 
up  on  a  diet  of  pies  and  "  saace,"  and  pork  and 
beans,  so  long  will  they  hate  stews  and  soups  ; 
and,  alas !  so  long  as  they  are  convalescents  in 
hospital,  so  long  will  they  be  looking  about  them 
for  causes  of  discontent,  of  which  the  diet  is  the 
most  obvious  and  the  most  fertile.* 

Hospital  stewards  have  always  had  a  bad 
name,  partly  because  they  have  done  something 
to  deserve  it ;  but  the  devil  is  not  so  black  as  he 
is  painted.  Their  position  lays  them  open  to 
many  charges  which  are  utterly  unjust.  They 
give  to  the  Sanitary  Commission  an  unconscious 
testimony  that,  in  the  main,  they  are  honest,  by 
the  simple  fact  that  the  requisitions  for  the  Com 
mission  stores  vary  with  the  condition  and  num 
ber  of  patients.  With  two  exceptions,  during 
a  period  of  some  months,  the  demand  for  hospi 
tal  delicacies  in  the  hospitals  in  the  District  of 
Columbia  corresponded  well  with  the  number 
of  very  sick.  Were  the  stewards  in  the  habit, 
so  often  asserted,  of  using  the  good  things  of 
the  Commission  for  their  own  benefit,  it  is  rea 
sonable  to  suppose  that  their  greed  for  them 
would  have  been  as  strong  at  one  time  as  at 
another. 

*  The  writer  is  not  to  be  understood  as  denying  the  exist 
ence  of  neglect  of  men  in  hospital.  This  statement  is  made 
to  show  that  complaints  of  such  neglect  must  be  taken  with 
great  caution  ;  for  they  are  frequently  made  unjustly  by  men 
who  are  in  other  respects  worthy  of  belief. 


246  THE  UNITED   STATES 

In  general  hospitals,  the  hospital  fund  ought 
to  leave  but  little  for  the  Commission  to  do ;  and 
this  has  been  the  case,  for  the  last  six  months,  in 
the  hospitals  in  Washington.  A  current  supply 
of  certain  things  is,  however,  always  needed  even 
here,  and  experience  and  judgment  alone  can 
know  the  measure  of  the  economy  which  can 
be  practised.  As  a  general  thing,  the  stores  of 
the  Commission  are  issued  through  the  channel 
of  the  women-nurses ;  but  sometimes  they  go 
for  issue  into  the  hands  of  the  surgeons  in  charge, 
most  of  whom,  let  who  will  say  to  the  contrary, 
take  a  true  and  conscientious  interest  in  the  wel 
fare  of  those  under  their  care. 

And  here  a  few  words  may  be  said  on  the 
work  that  might  — we  dare  to  say  that  should  — 
belong  to  women  in  general  hospitals.  If  wom 
en  comprehended  their  true  work,  and  had  the 
patience  to  show  that  they  do  so  comprehend  it, 
the  deep  prejudice  against  them,  in  the  minds 
of  the  army  surgeons,  would  be  removed.  In 
deed,  it  has  been  removed  in  many  instances. 
But  women  have  not,  as  a  general  thing,  seen 
their  place  or  their  duty.  It  is  hard,  perhaps,  to 
do  so.  It  is  hard  to  realize  that  even  benev 
olence  must  be  obedient.  And  it  is  for  this  rea 
son  that  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  so  far,  have  been 
preferred  as  nurses  by  the  surgeons  of  the  Army. 
It  could,  however,  be  shown  that  the  work  of 
women  belonging  in  the  world  would  be  more 
useful  than  even  the  work  of  the  Sisters,  if  such 


SANITARY  COMMISSION".  247 

women  would  learn  their  true  place.  And  if 
they  learned  it,  and  if  they  kept  to  it,  the  result 
would  be  that  in  the  end  they  would  have  all 
the  power  of  benevolence  that  even  they  would 
ask.  For  here  it  may  be  said,  in  deep  conviction 
of  its  truth,  that  the  surgeons  of  the  Army  of 
all  grades  are,  as  a  general  thing,  desirous  of 
doing  well  by  those  under  their  charge  ;  —  they 
are  conscientious  and  faithful  men.  It  is  be 
lieved,  and  is,  perhaps,  capable  of  proof,  that  if 
a  lady,  (by  which  is  meant  a  gentlewoman  hold 
ing  a  certain  social  position,)  and  one  fitted  for 
the  work,  could  be  placed  in  charge  of  what  may 
be  called  the  Woman's  Department  in  a  hospi 
tal,  —  namely,  the  nursing  of  the  very  sick  men, 
the  special  diet  and  the  linen  department,  with 
a  body  of  nurses  under  her  charge,  —  a  ben 
efit  to  the  hospital  would  follow,  and  the  sur 
geons,  far  from  complaining  of  it,  would  in  the 
end  welcome  it  with  sincerity.  If  a  system  like 
this  could  obtain  in  Washington,  —  these  ladies 
being  in  the  service  of  the  Government,  yet  allied 
to  the  Sanitary  Commission,  —  a  result  would 
be  reached  which  would  remove  all  ground  of 
complaint  so  far  as  the  sick  men  and  the  stores 
are  concerned.  As  for  the  convalescents,  we 
fear  they  must  always  be  expected  to  grumble. 
And  so,  after  all  is  said,  there  will  be  many 
who  will  continue  to  judge  of  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission  by  what  returning  soldiers  say  of  it; 
not  reflecting  that  the  well  men  of  the  Army 


248  THE  UNITED   STATES 

have  hitherto  known  comparatively  little  of  it. 
The  receipt  of  a  box  of  stale  pound-cake  or 
mouldy  gingerbread,  admirably  adapted  to  fill 
the  hospitals  with  sick  men,  occasions  much 
livelier  sentiments  of  grateful  regard  than  whole 
car-loads  of  hospital  stores.  To  be  sure,  all  this 
is  changing.  Now,  when  you  visit  a  regiment 
to  get  discharge-papers  rectified,  or  call  a  circle 
round  you  to  teach  them  how  to  benefit  by  the 
Commission  as  they  go  home  furloughed  or  dis 
charged,  or  to  learn  from  them,  for  friends  at 
home,  the  fate  of  some  missing  comrade,  the 
question  comes  into  their  rnind,  "  Who  is  it  that 
cares  enough  for  us  to  do  this  ?  "  But,  as  a 
general  thing,  the  well  men  have  known  but 
little  of  the  Commission,  and  even  the  sick  man 
cannot  always  know  from  whose  hand  conies 
the  pillow  that  bears  his  weary  head,  and  the 
wine  or  food  that  revives  him.* 

•*  Not  long  since,  Mr.  Knapp,  then  Special  Relief  Agent, 
met  a  man  who  was  saying,  "  For  his  part,  he  had  never  re 
ceived  anything,  and  he  had  never  seen  anything  from  the 
Sanitary  Commission."  Mr.  Knapp  eyed  him  a  moment,  and 
then  said,  "  Now,  my  man,  come  with  me,  and  let  me  exam 
ine  the  clothes  you  have  on."  As  article  after  article  came 
off,  down  to  the  socks,  each  was  found  to  bear  the  printed 
stamp,  "  U.  S.  Sanitary  Commission."  The  man  did  not 
mean  to  be  untruthful,  but  —  he  could  not  read. 

The  reader  must  not  suppose,  however,  from  what  is 
here  said  (and  said  to  one  point  only)  that  the  men  who 
have  been  succored  are  ungrateful.  Far,  very  far  from  it. 
See  Appendix  L. 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  249 

It  seems  scarcely  necessary  to  attempt  to  show 
in  words  that  the  Sanitary  Commission  has  pro 
duced  results  which,  in  their  several  degrees,  great 
and  small,  have  served  the  soldier,  the  war,  the 
country,  and  mankind.  If  the  facts  cannot  show 
it,  what  words  can  do  so?  There  is,  however, 
one  of  its  results,  and  that  the  most  important, 
to  which  the  story  has  made  not  the  smallest 
allusion. 

When  the  war  began,  the  requirements  of  law 
provided  that  the  senior  surgeon  of  the  Army 
should  be  the  Surgeon-General :  an  arrangement 
that  was  liable  to  result  in  placing  at  that  post 
an  officer  whose  chief  qualification  for  its  varied 
duties  of  large  responsibility  was  a  good  consti 
tution,  carefully  preserved.  There  was  no  bureau 
of  medical  inspection  established  by  law,  nor 
any  legal  requirement  in  this  corps  for  its  main 
tenance.  There  was  little  incentive,  aside  from 
natural  taste,  considerations  of  pride,  or  con 
scientious  impulse,  to  professional  improvement, 
or  especially  zealous  devotion  to  duty.  Promo 
tion,  being  by  seniority  of  service,  could  not  fol 
low  as  a  result  of  high  qualification,  nor^  after 
the  junior  officer  had  passed  his  examination  for 
a  surgeoncy  at  the  end  of  five  years'  service, 
was  it  retarded  by  incompetence  or  sloth.  The 
tendencies  of  the  system  repressed  the  prompt 
ings  of  professional  ambition,  and  favored  con 
tentment  in  the  dry  path  of  old  routine. 

It  was  no  merit  of  the  system  that  so  many 


250  THE  UNITED   STATES       , 

medical  officers  rose  above  its  debilitating  influ 
ences,  and  made  for  themselves  and  for  their 
corps  a  reputation  going  far  to  justify,  by  scien 
tific  attainments  as  well  as  by  manly  and  hon 
orable  bearing,  the  designation  once  applied  to 
them  by  an  officer  of  another  staff,  —  "  the  corps 
d? elite  of  the  Army."  The  Commission  felt  that 
such  a  system  was  inadequate  to  the  demands 
of  the  country,  —  that  the  highest  talent  and 
the  most  interested  devotion  should  be  given  to 
the  discharge  of  the  multiform  duties  of  the 
Medical  Bureau.  It  urged  its  views  upon  the 
President,  the  Secretary  of  War,  and  upon  Con 
gress  ;  and  brought  to  bear  on  legislators  the 
organized  sentiment  of  thoughtful  men  through 
out  the  country.  It  met  the  objections  of  Pre 
scription  and  Routine,  and  pointed  out  a  more 
excellent  way  than  ever  their  feet  had  trodden. 
By  the  influence  of  public  opinion,  —  moulded 
and  organized  and  directed  by  the  Sanitary 
Commission,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say,  —  Con 
gress,  in  April,  1862.  passed  a  bill,  which,  ap 
proved  by  the  President,  became  law  on  the  16th 
of  that  month,  and  which  introduced  new  fea 
tures  of  the  greatest  value  into  the  organization 
of  the  Medical  Bureau. 

Besides  increasing  the  number  of  officers  in 
the  lower  grades,  it  added  an  Assistant  Surgeon- 
General  and  a  Medical  Inspector- General,  with 
the  rank  of  colonel  respectively  ;  eight  medical 
inspectors,  ranking  as  lieutenant-colonels;  and 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  251 

provided  that  these  officers  —  as  well  as  the 
Surgeon- General,  who  ranks  as  a  Brigadier-Gen 
eral —  should  be  hereafter  selected  for  merit  and 
eminent  qualification  from  the  whole  number 
of  medical  officers  in  service,  whether  of  the 
regular  or  volunteer  army. 

A  striking  illustration  of  what  was  to  be  ex 
pected  from  the  new  law  was  given  nine  days 
later,  when  the  President  commissioned  Assist 
ant-Surgeon  William  A.  Hammond  to  be  Sur 
geon-General  of  the  Army.  It  is  well  known 
that  the  Sanitary  Commission  urged  this  ap 
pointment,  but  not  on  personal  grounds  ;  for  only 
one  of  its  members  had  ever  seen  him  when 
their  decision  was  reached  that  this  would  be 
the  best  appointment  possible.  But  they  pre 
sented  his  claims  to  the  President  and  Cabinet, 
from  his  well-known  devotion  to  science,  his 
energy  and  executive  ability,  his  comprehensive 
view  of  the  great  questions  sure  to  arise  in  the 
administration  of  his  office,  and  his  evident 
readiness  to  meet  boldly  great  responsibilities. 
His  administration  has  justified  the  selection. 
He  has  introduced  liberality  and  promptness 
into  the  purveying  department  of  his  bureau. 
He  has  greatly  enlarged  the  supply  table ;  for 
old  hotels  and  seminaries,  he  has  substituted 
airy  and  ample  hospital  buildings,  conformable 
to  improved  architectural  models  ;  he  has  raised, 
by  providing  more  rigid  examinations,  the  scien 
tific  standard  for  admission  into  the  army  med- 


252  THE  UNITED   STATES 

ical  service  ;  he  has  sought  legislation  to  enlarge 
the  hospital  fund,  to  improve  the  system  of 
nursing,  to  provide  for  more  extended  inspection 
of  camps,  barracks,  hospitals,  transports,  and 
stores ;  to  establish  a  legalized  and  humane  sys 
tem  of  ambulance,  and  to  render,  by  other  en 
actments,  the  corps  more  efficient  and  the  system 
more  complete. 

By  these  efforts,  by  the  just  exercise  of  disci 
pline,  by  his  encouragement  to  scientific  inves 
tigation,  his  fostering  of  army  medical  societies, 
his  establishment  of  a  museum  of  pathology, 
and  his  detail  of  accomplished  members  of  the 
medical  staff  to  write  the  medical  and  surgical 
history  of  the  war,  he  has  kindled  afresh  in  the 
medical  service  a  zeal  and  an  esprit  de  corps 
which  can  hardly  fail  to  insure  an  enthusiasm 
noble  in  its  aims,  and  a  scientific  progress  fer 
tile  in  its  results.  It  is  barely  eighteen  months 
since  the  Medical  Bureau  was  fully  reorganized 
by  the  President,  and  since  its  corps  of  Medical 
Inspectors  —  the  aids  of  its  Chief  in  securing 
an  exact  knowledge  of  the  field  before  him  - 
was  confirmed  by  the  Senate.  But  the  experi 
ence  of  these  months  indicates  the  increasing 
gain  likely  to  accrue  to  science  from  this  meas 
ure  of  reform.  For,  under  such  guidance,  re 
form  is  not  likely  to  go  backward. 

It  is  obvious,  however,  that  the  working  of 
this  law  has  borne  painfully  upon  the  feelings 
of  individuals,  and  we  trust  that  we  may  be 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  253 

suffered  to  say,  with  great  respect  for  the  manly 
virtues  of  such  men,  that  perhaps  no  greater 
tribute  of  patriotism  has  been  given  to  the  coun 
try  than  that  of  the  spirit  with  which  these  offi 
cers  have  seen  younger  men  called  into  their 
places  by  the  exigencies  of  active  war. 


The  Sanitary  Commission  is  a  great  teacher : 
teaching  many  the  true  use  of  their  faculties ; 
teaching  others  that  they  have  faculties  to  use, 
and  giving  to  all  the  education  of  opportunity. 
Truly  it  is  "  a  liberal  education  "  —  guiding  the 
national  instincts ;  showing  the  value  of  order, 
and  the  dignity  of  work ;  opening  the  hearts  of 
men  and  women  in  unselfish  trust  towards  each 
other ;  teaching  the  true  principles  of  the  true 
equality  of  human  nature.  But  this  book  has 
ill-conveyed  an  essential  truth  if  it  has  not 
shown  that  the  life  of  the  Commission  sprang 
from  the  nation,  and  that  it  becomes  a  teacher 
because  the  instincts  of  the  nation  have  risen 
up  and  demanded  to  be  taught  and  moulded. 

The  true  strength  and  glory  of  a  free  people 
lies  not  in  its  politicians,  orators,  poets,  and  his 
torians,  but  in  the  faithful  instinct,  courage,  and 
intelligence  of  the  unnamed  and  unnamable 
millions  ;  —  showing  a  gradual  lifting  up,  not 
of  man  as  an  individual,  but  of  human  nature 
in  its  likeness  to  God.  From  its  hidden  life  this 
instinct  has  been  roused  by  the  war  into  a  vis- 


254  THE  UNITED  STATES 

ible  existence.  Perhaps  its  purest  voice  is  ut 
tered  through  the  Sanitary  Commission,  where 
Mercy  and  Patriotism  speak  and  act  together, 
and  Self  is  not.  The  sound  of  this  voice  comes 
back  like  an  echo  to  the  nation,  bearing  the  les 
sons  taught  by  the  performance  of  good  deeds. 
Thus  the  Commission  becomes  a  teacher;  thus 
it  reaches,  as  perhaps  nothing  else  can  reach,  into 
the  hearts  of  the  men  and  women  of  our  coun 
try.  Nor  does  its  work  end  here.  It  has  within 
it  the  means  for  a  national  education  of  ideas 
as  well  as  of  instincts.  This,  however,  is  for 
time  and  not  for  prophecy  to  show. 

And  here  this  sketch  must  close.  Its  main 
object  has  been  to  show  certain  facts,  and  not 
to  appeal  directly  to  the  reader ;  but  it  is  sim 
ply  impossible  to  lay  down  the  pen  and  not 
say,  from  the  depths  of  a  tried  conviction  — 
"  Friends !  let  us  give  to  this  Commission  all 
that  we  have  to  give  of  talent  and  strength 
and  money ;  for  life  will  never  give  us  such  an 
opportunity  again ! " 

This  book  may  have  shown — as  it  professed 
to  do  —  that  the  Sanitary  Commission  has  jus 
tified  the  confidence  of  the  people,  but  there 
are  some  things  which  it  cannot  show  nor  say. 
They  are  said  elsewhere ;  and  with  those  words, 
deeply  felt  and  valued  by  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission,  this  little  book  shall  end:  — 

"  If  pure  benevolence  was  ever  organized  and 
utilized  into  beneficence,  the  name  of  the  insti- 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  255 

tution  is  the  Sanitary  Commission.  It  is  a 
standing  answer  to  Samson's  riddle  :  '  Out  of 
the  strong  came  forth  sweetness.'  Out  of  the 
very  depths  of  the  agony  of  this  cruel  and  bloody 
war  springs  this  beautiful  system,  built  of  the  no 
blest  and  divinest  attributes  of  the  human  soul. 
Amidst  all  the  heroism  of  daring  and  enduring 
which  this  war  has  developed,  —  amidst  all  the 
magnanimity  of  which  it  has  shown  the  race 
capable,  the  daring,  the  endurance,  the  greatness 
of  soul  which  have  been  discovered  among  the 
men  and  women  who  have  given  their  lives  to 
this  work,  shine  as  brightly  as  any  on  the  battle 
field  —  in  some  respects  even  more  brightly. 
They  have  not  the  bray  of  trumpets  nor  the 
clash  of  swords  to  rouse  enthusiasm,  nor  will 
the  land  ever  resound  with  their  victories. 
Theirs  is  the  dark  and  painful  side,  — the  menial 
and  hidden  side  ;  but  it  is  made  light  and  lovely 
by  the  spirit  that  shines  in  and  through  it  all. 
Glimpses  of  this  agency  are  familiar  to  our 
people ;  but  not  till  the  history  of  its  inception, 
progress,  and  results  is  calmly  and  adequately 
written  out  and  spread  before  the  public,  will 
any  idea  be  formed  of  the  magnitude  and  im 
portance  of  the  work  which  it  has  done.  Nor 
even  then.  Never,  till  every  soldier  whose  last 
moments  it  has  soothed,  till  every  soldier  whose 
flickering  life  it  has  gently  steadied  into  contin 
uance,  whose  waning  reason  it  has  softly  lulled 
into  quiet,  whose  chilled  blood  it  has  warmed 


256  THE  UNITED  STATES 

into  healthful  play,  whose  failing  frame  it  has 
nourished  into  strength,  whose  fainting  heart  it 
has  comforted  with  sympathy,  —  never,  until 
every  full  soul  has  poured  out  its  story  of  gratitude 
and  thanksgiving,  wTill  the  record  be  complete  ; 
but  long  before  that  time,  ever  since  the  moment 
that  its  helping  hand  was  first  held  forth,  comes 
the  Blessed  Voice,  '  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done 
it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye 
have  done  it  unto  me.' 

"An  institution  asking  of  Government  only 
permission  to  live  and  opportunity  to  work, 
planting  itself  firmly  and  squarely  on  the  gen 
erosity  of  the  people,  subsisting  solely  by  their 
free-will  offerings,  it  is  a  noble  monument  of  the 
intelligence,  the  munificence,  and  the  efficiency 
of  a  free  people,  and  of  the  alacrity  with  which  it 
responds  when  the  right  chord  is  rightly  touched. 

"  The  blessings  of  thousands  who  were  ready 
to  perish,  and  of  tens  of  thousands  who  love 
their  country  and  their  kind,  rest  upon  those 
who  originated,  and  those  who  sustain,, this 
ndble  work.  Let  the  people's  heart  never  faint 
and  its  hand  never  weary  ;  but  let  it,  of  its  abun 
dance,  give  to  this  Commission  full  measure, 
pressed  down,  shaken  together,  and  running 
over,  that,  wherever  the  red  trail  of  war  is  seen, 
its  divine  footsteps  may  follow ;  that,  wherever 
the  red  hand  of  war  is  lifted  to  wound,  its  white 
hand  may  be  lifted  to  heal ;  that  its  work  may 


SANITARY  COMMISSION.  257 

never  cease  until  it  is  assumed  by  a  great  Chris 
tian  government,  or  until  peace  once  more 
reigns  throughout  the  land.  And  even  then, 
gratitude  for  its  service,  and  joy  in  its  glory, 
shall  never  die  out  of  the  hearts  of  the  Ameri 
can  people." 


17 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX  A. 

AT  the  last  session  of  the  United  States  Sanitary 
Commission,  Oct.  9,  1863,  the  following  action  was 
taken  on  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Olmsted :  — 

The  President  communicated  the  previously  an 
nounced  resignation  of  Mr.  Olmsted  as  General  Secre 
tary  and  as  a  member  of  the  Commission,  and  offered 
resolutions  expressive  of  the  feeling  of  the  Commission, 
viz :  — 

Resolved,  That  this  Board  accepts  the  resignation  of 
Fred.  Law  Olmsted,  as  General  Secretary,  with  pro 
found  regret. 

.Resolved,  That,  from  the  beginning  of  our  enterprise, 
the  organizing  genius  of  Mr.  Olmsted,  trained  by  rich 
experience  in  other  large  and  successful  undertakings, 
has  been  a  chief  source  of  whatever  merit  has  charac 
terized  the  operations  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  ;  and 
that  we  find  our  consolation  in  the  loss  of  his  personal 
services  in  the  fact  that  his  plans  and  ideas  are  so  inef- 
faceably  stamped  on  our  work,  that  we  shall  continue  to 
enjoy  the  benefit  of  his  talents  and  the  inspiration  of 
his  character  as  long  as  the  Commission  lasts. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  transmitted  to 
Mr.  Olmsted,  with  a  letter  expressive  of  our  warm 


260  APPENDIX  A. 

personal  attachment,  and  an  earnest  expression  of  our 
wish  that  he  will  withdraw  his  resignation  as  a  member 
of  the  Board. 

The  resolutions  were  adopted,  and  the  President  was 
requested  to  prepare  the  letter  referred  to. 
(Copied  from  the  Minutes  of  the  fourteenth   Session    United   States 
Sanitary  Commission. ) 

The  officers  of  the  United  States  Sanitary  Commis 
sion  are  now  as  follows  :  — 

H.  W.  BELLOWS,  D.  D President. 

A.  D.  BACHE,  LL.  D Vice-President. 

GEORGE  T.  STRONG,  Esq Treasurer. 


J.  FOSTER  JENKINS,  M.  D. . .  General  Secretary. 

J.  S.  NEWBERRY,  M.  D Associate  Sec'y  for  Dep't  of  the  West. 

F.  N.  KNAPP "  "  "          "         East. 

J.  H.  DOUGLAS Asso.  Sec'y,  and  Chief  of  Inspection. 

A.  J.  BLOOR Assistant  Secretary. 

E.  T.  THORNE "  " 

E.  B.  ELLIOT Actuary. 

JOHN  BOWNE Accountant,  and  Superintendent  Hos 
pital  Directory. 


STAFF  OF  INSPECTION. 

Dr.  H.  G.  CLARK Special  Inspection  of  Hospitals. 

Dr.  L.  H.  STEINER Inspector  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

Dr.  GORDON  WINSLOW "  at  Gettysburg. 

Dr.  GEORGE  L.  ANDREW.  ...  "  Louisville. 

Dr.  A.  N.  REED "  Army  of  the  Cumberland. 

Dr.  GEORGE  A.  BLAKE..  ...  .  .  "  Department  of  the  Gulf. 

Dr.  H.  A.  WARRINER "  Army  of  the  Tennessee. 

Dr.  E.  A.  CRANE "  Department  of  the  South. 

Dr.  J.  W.  PAGE "  Department  of  N.  Carolina. 

Dr.  A.  L.  CASTLEMAN "  Army  of  the  Cumberland. 

Dr. FITHIAN "  Army  of  the  Tennessee. 

Dr.  C.  \V.  BRINK "  at  Washington. 

Dr.  T.  B.  SMITH "  and  Pension  Examiner. 

Dr.  J.  S.  NICHOLS "  on  detached  duty. 


APPENDIX  B. 


261 


Dr.  ALEX.  MCDONALD Inspector  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

Dr.  WM.  F.  SWALM "  "  "        " 

Dr.  M.  M.  MAKSH "  "         in  South  Carolina. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  the  roster  of  the  Commis 
sion  shows  that  there  are  now  — 


Clerks,  in  all  Departments. . .  .44 

Relief  Agents 25 

Storekeepers 2i 

Superintendents  of  Homes 10 

Matrons ,.   6 

Nurses 5 

Messengers 4 


Surgeons 2 

Hospital    Visitors     and    Can 
vassing   Agents 6 

Porters,  Watchmen,  &c 12 

Cooks,       Laundresses,       Ser 
vants,  &c 27 

Wagon-drivers. ..  , .   7 


APPENDIX     B. 

CIRCULAR  LETTER. 

To   the    Presidents    and   Officers    of   the   various   Life 
Insurance   Companies  of  the    United  States. 

GENTLEMEN  :  —  You  are  directly  and  largely  inter 
ested  in  the  lives  of  our  brave  soldiers,  so  many  of 
whom  are  insured  in  your  several  offices.  Their  prin 
cipal  danger  comes,  as  you  are  well  aware,  not  from 
the  force  of  the  enemy,  but  from  the  ravages  of  those 
diseases  always  active  in  camps  and  fortresses,  and 
especially  so  among  inexperienced  volunteer  troops 
suddenly  subjected  to  change  of  climate,  to  unusual 
heat,  and  to  great  exposure.  The  officers  in  charge  of 
the  principal  portion  of  these  lives  are  brave,  intelligent 
men,  ready  to  shed  their  blood  for  the  liberties  of  the 
country  ;  but  they  are  without  experience  in  the  care 
of  their  soldiers,  and,  with  the  best  intentions,  must  fail, 
if  not  supported  by  extraneous  efforts  and  experience, 


262  APPENDIX  B. 

in  saving  them  from  pestilence  and  destruction  in  a 
ratio  too  fearful  to  name.  In  view  of  the  enormous 
responsibility  thrown  by  extraordinary  events  upon  the 
Medical  Bureau,  and  at  the  urgent  instance  of  medical 
men  at  large,  a  Sanitary  Commission  has  been  ap 
pointed  by  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  to 
advise  the  War  Department  and  the  Medical  Bureau 
of  the  most  efficient  way  of  preventing  disease  among 
the  troops,  and  warding  off  general  pestilence  and  rapid 
decimation,  and  to  cooperate  with  them  in  their  efforts 
to  this  end.  Reasonable  fears  exist,  that,  unless  the 
most  energetic  efforts  are  made,  one  half  our  whole 
volunteer  force  may  not  survive  the  exposures  of  the 
next  four  months.  This  Commission  is  now  in  full 
organization,  and  ready  to  go  to  work.  It  wants 
money.  It  needs  twenty  thousand  dollars  in  hand  to 
proceed  with  vigor  to  its  sublimely  important  work.  It 
has  declined  asking  or  receiving  money  from  the  Gov 
ernment,  for  fear  it  might  thus  forfeit  its  independent 
position,  and  lose  in  moral  strength  what  it  gained  by 
government  patronage.  If  the  Government  supported 
it,  its  members  would  be  appointed  by  the  Government, 
and  acquire  a  political  character,  or  be  chosen  not  for 
their  competency  to  the  work,  but  from  local  and  par 
tisan  reasons.  We  choose,  then,  to  depend  as  long  and 
as  far  as  we  can  on  the  support  of  the  public.  And  we 
look  to  the  Life  Insurance  Companies,  whose  intelligent 
acquaintance  with  vital  statistics  constitutes  them  the 
proper  and  the  readiest  judges  of  the  necessity  of  such 
a  Commission,  to  give  the  first  indorsement  to  our 
enterprise  by  generous  donations,  —  the  best  proof  they 
can  afford  the  public  of  the  solid  claim  we  have  on  the 
liberality  of  the  rich,  the  patriotic,  and  the  humane. 


APPENDIX  B.  263 

We  beg  to  remind  you,  moreover,  that  even  those  Life 
Insurance  Companies  which  have  no  war  risks  outstand 
ing  are  directly  and  deeply  interested  in  promoting  the 
objects  of  this  Commission.  For  no  fact  in  medical 
history  is  better  established  than  this,  that  diseases 
breaking  out  among  soldiers  in  camp  or  garrison,  for 
the  want  of  prudent  sanitary  measures,  and  extending 
among  them  on  any  considerable  scale,  are  soon  shared 
by  the  community  at  large.  The  mere  presence  in  any 
country  of  an  army  extensively  infected,  is  a  centre  of 
poison  to  its  whole  people.  If  pestilence  do  not  break 
out  (as  it  commonly  does),  ordinary  maladies  assume  a 
malignant  and  unmanageable  type,  and  the  general 
ratio  of  mortality  is  heightened  in  a  fearful  degree. 

Our  case  is  urgent,  and  every  hour's  delay  is  a 
serious  blow  to  our  success.  We  ask  for  prompt,  nay, 
for  immediate  action.  We  wish  to  send  skilled  agents 
to  every  point  of  danger,  —  men  armed  with  the  influence 
and  authority  of  the  Sanitary  Commission,  —  to  put  all 
general  officers  and  all  medical  men,  the  captains  and 
all  other  responsible  persons,  whether  in  camps  or  for 
tresses,  upon  their  guard  ;  to  arouse  an  unusual  atten 
tion  to  the  subject  of  good  cooking,  regular  meals, 
absolute  cleanliness,  proper  ventilation,  and  the  use  of 
prophylactics.  An  examination  of  the  papers  accom 
panying  this  appeal  will  show  you  the  arnpleness  of  our 
powers,  and  the  vigor  and  completeness  of  our  machin 
ery.  We  can  do  a  vast  work  in  a  short  time,  if  we 
have  abundant  means.  Fifty  thousand  dollars  would, 
we  seriously  think,  enable  us  to  save  fifty  thousand 
lives.  Can  there  be  any  hesitation  in  furnishing  such 
a  sum  for  such  a  vast  and  holy  purpose  ?  And  ought 
not,  must  not,  your  Life  Insurance  Companies  lead 


264  APPENDIX  B. 

boldly  and  generously  in  this  imperative  duty  ?  We 
are  willing  to  give  our  time,  our  thoughts,  our  energies, 
and  whatever  of  skill,  experience,  and  knowledge  we 
may  possess,  to  this  work  ;  but  we  look  to  you  and  to 
the  wealth  of  our  cities  to  supply  us  with  the  money 
required  to  effect  the  beneficent  objects  proposed  by  the 
Sanitary  Commission. 

Very  respectfully  and  fraternally  yours, 

HENRY  W.  BELLOWS,  President. 

ALEX.  D.  BACHE. 

WM.  H.  VAN  BUREN,  M.  D. 

WOLCOTT  GIBBS,  M.  D. 

C.  R.  AGNEW,  M.  D. 

JOHN  S.  NEWBERRY,  M.  D.  (Cleveland.) 

FRED.  LAW  OLMSTED. 

GEO.  T.  STRONG,   Treasurer. 

ELISHA  HARRIS,  M.  D.,  Cor.  Sec'y. 

SANITARY  COMMISSION, 

(In  Session  in  New  York,) 

June  21,  1861. 


CIRCULAR    ASKING    CONTRIBUTIONS. 

SANITARY  COMMISSION,  WASHINGTON,  D.  C., 

TREASURY  BUILDING,  June  22.  1861. 

SIR  :  —  The  Sanitary  Commission  just  ordered  by 
the  United  States  Government  has  a  field  of  labor 
open  to  it  of  vast  importance  and  immense  urgency. 
The  lives  of  250,000  troops,  four  times  more  endan 
gered  from  disease  than  from  the  casualties  of  war,  are 
now  hanging  in  the  scales  ;  and  whether  fifty  per  cent, 
of  them  are  carried  off  by  dysentery,  fever,  and  cholera, 
in  the  course  of  the  next  four  months,  or  whether  they 


APPENDIX  B.  265 

are  maintained  at  what,  under  the  best  condition,  is  the 
double  risk  of  life,  depends,  under  God,  upon  the  most 
efficient  application  of  sanitary  science  to  their  protec 
tion.  In  the  sudden  and  enormous  responsibility  thrown 
upon  the  Government,  the  usual  medical  dependence  is  so 
strained  that  extraordinary  means  are  necessary  to  meet 
the  case.  Under  these  circumstances,  our  Commission, 
with  special  power  and  duties,  has  been  brought  into 
existence.  To  avoid  political  jealousies,  and  secure  a 
board  of  harmonious  and  high-toned  advisers,  it  has 
been  thought  desirable  to  derive  the  support  of  the 
Commission  from  the  public,  rather  than  the  Govern 
ment.  The  Commissioners  freely  give  their  time, 
experience,  and  labor  to  the  country.  But  they  must 
keep  active  agents  at  numerous  points  constantly  and 
vigilantly  at  work,  in  urging  the  preventive  measures 
on  which  they  depend  for  success  ;  and  this  involves  a 
large  expenditure  of  money.  It  is  supposed  that  fifty 
thousand  dollars  could  be  expended  with  the  greatest 
advantage  during  the  present  year  in  the  work  of  the 
Commission,  and  that  every  single  dollar  so  spent  would 
save  one  life.  Every  dollar  less  than  this  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  the  Commission  must  be  considered  as  the 
needless  exposure  and  probable  loss  of  a  life  !  It  is 
hoped  that  the  character  and  standing  of  the  Com 
missioners  is  the  only  warrant  the  public  will  require 
for  their  energetic  and  faithful  performance  of  the 
duties  assigned  them.  Under  these  circumstances,  the 
undersigned,  members  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  now 
in  session  in  New  York,  ask  the  immediate  contribu 
tions  oC  the  men  of  wealth  in  as  generous  a  measure  as 
the  greatness  of  the  interest  at  stake  and  the  urgency 
of  the  case  may  prompt  their  humane  hearts  and  fore- 
looking  minds. 


266  APPENDIX   C. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  suggest  that  every  soldier 
who  survives  the  exposure  of  the  next  four  months  will 
be  worth,  for  military  purposes,  two  fresh  recruits ; 
that  every  man  lost  by  neglect  makes  a  complaining 
family,  and  forms  a  ground  of  unpopularity  for  the 
war ;  that  every  sick  man  deprives  the  ranks  of  one  or 
two  well  men  detailed  to  take  care  of  him  ;  that  pesti 
lence  will  demoralize  and  frighten  those  whom  armed 
enemies  cannot  scare  ;  that  the  men  now  in  the  field 
are  the  flower  of  the  nation  ;  that  their  places  cannot 
be  filled,  either  at  home  or  in  the  ranks  ;  and  that  the 
economical,  the  humane,  the  patriotic,  the  successful 
conduct  of  this  war,  and  its  speedy  termination,  is  now 
more  dependent  on  the  health  of  the  troops  than  any 
and  all  other  conditions  combined. 

Help  us,  then,  dear  sir,  to  do  this  work,  for  which  our 
machinery  is  now  complete  !  Help  us  generously ;  help 
us  at  once ! 

In  the  name  of  God,  humanity,  and  our  country  ! 
Yours,  fraternally, 

HENRY  W.  BELLOWS,  D.  D. 
A.  D.  BACHE,  LL.  D. 
ELISHA  HARRIS,  M.  D. 


APPENDIX  C. 

A  SERIES  OF  SURGICAL  AND  MEDICAL  MONOGRAPHS, 
PREPARED  AND  PRINTED  BY  THE  UNITED  STATES 
SANITARY  COMMISSION. 

Introductory  Essay.     Valentine  Mott,  D.  D. 
Advice  as  to  Camping.     Issued  by  the  British  Govern 
ment  Sanitary  Commission. 


APPENDIX  C.  267 

A.  Report  on  Military  Hygiene  and  Therapeutics. 

B.  Directions   to  Army  Surgeons  on  the  Battle-field. 

By  G.  J.  Guthrie,  Surgeon-General  to  the  Brit 
ish  Forces  during  the  Crimean  War  (reprinted 
by  United  States  Sanitary  Commission). 

C.  Rules  for  preserving  the  Health  of  the  Soldier. 

D.  Quinine  as  a  Prophylactic  against  Malarious  Dis 

eases. 

E.  Report  on  the  Value  of  Vaccination  in  Armies. 

F.  Report  on  Amputations. 

G.  Report  on  'Amputations  through  the  Foot  and  at 

the  Ankle-joint. 

H.    Report  on  Venereal  Diseases. 
J.     Report  on  Pneumonia. 
K.    Report  on  Continued  Fevers. 
L.    Report     on     Excision    of     Joints    for    traumatic 

Cause. 

M.   Report  on  Dysentery. 
N.    Report  on  Scurvy. 
0.    Report  on  the  Treatment  of  Fractures  in  Military 

Surgery. 
P.    Report  on  the  Nature  and  Treatment  of  Miasmatic 

Fevers. 
Q.    Report    on  the  Nature  and  Treatment  of  Yellow 

Fever. 


268  APPENDIX  D. 


APPENDIX     D. 

UNITED   STATES    SANITARY   COMMISSION. 

List  of  the  Special  Inspectors  of  the  General  Hospitals  of  the  Army, 
Sept.  1,  1862,  to  May  1,  1863. 

Henry  G.  Clark,  M.  D.,  Surgeon  Massachusetts  General  Hospital, 

&c.,  Inspector-in-chief. 

Abbott,  S.  L.,  M.  D.,  Mass.  Gen.  Hospital Boston. 

Armor,  S.  G.,  M.  D.,  Prof.  University,  Mich Ann  Arbor. 

Ayer,  James,  M.  D Boston. 

Bell,  John,  M.  D Philadelphia. 

Bell,  Theod.  S.,  M.  D.,  Prof.  Theor.  and  Pract. 

Univ.. Louisville. 

Bemis,  Charles  V.,  M.  D Medford,  Mass. 

Borland,  J.  N.,  M.  D , Boston. 

Bowditch,  H.  I.,  M.  D.,  Phys.  Mass.  Gen.  Hosp..  .Boston. 

Brinsmade,  T.  C.,  M.  D .' Troy,  N.  Y. 

Buck,  Gurdon,  M.  D.,  Surgeon  N.  Y.  Hosp New  York. 

Buckingham;  C.  E.,  M.  D.,  Consulting  Physician 

City  of  Boston Boston. 

Cabot,  S.,  Jr.,  M.  D.,  Surg.  Mass.  Gen.  Hosp Boston. 

Coale,  W.  E.,  M.  D Boston. 

Cogswell,  M.  F.,  M.  D Albany. 

Comegys,  C.  G.,  M.  D Cincinnati. 

Draper,  John  W.,  M.  D.,  Prof.  Chem.  Univ.  N.  Y.  .New  York. 
Ellis,    Calvin,  M.   D.,   Pathol.,   &c.,   Mass.   Gen. 

Hospital Boston. 

Flint,  Joshua  B.,  M.  D.,  Prof.  Clinical  Surgery, 

Univ Louisville. 

Foster,  S.  Conant,  M.  D New  York. 

Fowler,  Edmond,  M.  D Montgomery,  Ala. 

Gay,  George  H.,  M.  D.,  Surg.  Mass.  Gen.  Hosp..  .Boston. 

Gould,  A.  A.,  M.  D.,  Phys.  Mass.  Gen.  Hosp Boston. 

Gunn,  Moses,  M.  D.,  Prof.  Surgery,  Univ.,  Mich.. Detroit. 

Hodges,  E.  M.,  M.  D.,  Surg.  Mass.  Gen.  Hosp Boston. 

Homans,  John,  M.  D.,  Ex-Pres.  Mass.  Med.  Soc.  .Boston. 

Hun,  Thomas,  M.  D Albany. 

Hunt,  William,  M.  D Philadelphia. 

Jackson,  J.  B.  S.,  M.  D.,  Prof.  Morb.  Anat.  Mass. 

Med.  Coll.,  &c Boston. 


APPENDIX  D.  269 

Jacobi,  A.,  M.  D.,  Prof.  Infant.  Path.,  &c.,  Med. 

Coll New  York. 

Jarvis,  Edward,  M.  D.,  Member  of  American  Sta 
tistical  Society Boston. 

Johnson,  H.  A.,  M.  D.,  Prof.  Physiol.  and  Histol. 

Univ.  Lincl Chicago. 

Judkins,  David,  M.  D Cincinnati. 

Krackowizer,  E.,  M.  D New  York. 

Lee,  Charles  A.,  M.  D.,  Prof.  Mat.  Med.  Med.  Sch. 

of  Maine Peekskill. 

Leonard,  F.  B.,  M.  D Lansingberg. 

Lewis,  Winslow,  M.  D.,  Consult.  Surg.  Mass.  Gen. 

Hospital Boston. 

March,  Alden,  M.  D.,  Prof.  Surgery  Med.  Coll Albany. 

Mendenhall,  G.,  M.  D Cincinnati. 

Minot,  Francis,  M.  D.,  Phys.  Mass.  Gen.  Hosp.  .  .Boston. 

Mitchell,  S.  Weir,  M.  D Philadelphia. 

Morehouse,  G.  R.,  M.  D Philadelphia. 

Morland,  William  W.,  M.  D Boston. 

Pitcher,  Z.,  M.  D.,  Emer.  Prof.  Univ.  Mich Detroit. 

Pollak,  S.,  M.  D.,  Surg.  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary.  .St.  Louis. 
Post,  Alfred  C.,  M.  D.,  Prof.  Surg.  Univ.  N.  Y., 

&c.,  &c New  York. 

Reid,  David  B.,*  M.  D St.  Paul's. 

Rochester,  T.  F.,  M.D.,  Prof.  Clin.  Med. Univ.  of.  .Buffalo. 

Sager,  Abram,  M.  D.,  Prof.  Obst,  Univ.  Mich Ann  Arbor. 

Shaw,  Benjamin    S.,    M.  D.,    Supt.    Mass.   Gen. 

Hosp Boston. 

Shattuck,  G.  C.,  M.  D.,  Prof.  Theor.  and  Pract. 

Med.  Coll.,  &c Boston. 

Slade,  Daniel  D.,  M.  D Boston. 

Smith,    Stephen,   M.  D.,   Prof.    Surg.  and   Surg. 

Bellevue  Hosp New  York. 

Snow,  Edwin  M.,  M.  D.,  Health  Officer,  &c Providence,  R.  I. 

*  David  Boswell  Reid,  M.  D.,  Fellow  Royal  Society  of  Edin 
burgh;  Fellow  of  the  Royal  College  of  Physicians.  London;  Member 
Medico-Chirurgical  Society  of  St.  Petersburg;  formerly  Director  of 
Ventilation-at  the  Houses  of  Parliament  of  Great  Britain;  late  Pro 
fessor  of  Physiology  and  Hygiene  at  the  University  of  Wisconsin. 
He  died  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  Sanitary  Commission, 
being  at  the  time  of  his  death  Special  Inspector  of  Ventilation  in 
Hospitals. 


270  APPENDIX  D. 

Terry,  Charles  A.,  M.  D Cleveland 

Vanderpool,  S.  0.,  M.  D.,  late  Surg.  Gen.  N.  Y..  .Albany. 
Walker,  Clement  A.,  M.  D.,  Supt.  Lunatic  Hosp.. Boston. 
Ware,  Charles  E.,  M.  D.,  Phys.  Mass.  Gen.  Hosp.. Boston. 
White,  James  P.,  M.  D.,  Prof.  Obst.  Univ.  of  ...  .Buffalo. 

Williams,  H.  W.,  M.  D Boston. 

Wyman,  Morrill,  M.  D.,  Ex-Prof.  Mass.  Medical 

Coll Cambridge. 

These  gentlemen,  distinguished  in  their  profession, 
with  the  care  of  large  practices,  or  other  responsibilities 
upon  them,  accepted  the  duties  of  Special  Inspectors  of 
the  Sanitary  Commission,  solely  from  motives  of  patriot 
ism  and  humanity.  Their  remuneration  was  very 
slight.  It  merely  paid  the  travelling  expenses  of  many 
of  them.  Others,  who  travelled  lesser  distances,  gave 
what  was  due  to  them  to  the  special  relief  agency  of  the 
Commission. 

The  reports  of  these  gentlemen  are  contained  in  over 
four  thousand  folio  pages  of  writing.  They  have  heen 
tabulated  under  the  supervision  of  Dr.  Clark  himself. 
They  contain  answers  to  a  series  of  questions,  in  addi 
tion  to  the  professional  and  scientific  observations  of  the 
Inspectors  themselves.  Thus  it  may  be  said  that  they 
give  the  most  thorough  and  pertinent  knowledge  which 
can  be  had  about  the  general  hospitals  of  the  United 
States.  Those  who  are  disposed  to  doubt  the  condition 
of  these  hospitals  would  do  well  to  examine  these  re 
ports,  and  assure  themselves  that,  in  a  great  degree, 
their  doubts  and  fears  are  unfounded. 

We  must  here  mention,  what  should  have  been 
stated  elsewhere,  that  the  first  plan  for  a  barrack  hos 
pital  in  this  country  (the  most  important  improvement 
which  has  taken  place  in  general  hospitals)  was  made 
and  given  to  the  Government  by  the  Sanitary  Com  mis- 


APPENDIX  E.  271 

sion.  The  Judiciary  Square  Hospital,  in  Washington, 
was  built  upon  that  plan  ;  and  every  general  hospital 
since  erected  has  been  of  barrack  structure. 


APPENDIX    E. 

UNITED   STATES    SANITARY   COMMISSION. 

Woma?i's  Central  Association  of  Relief,  Third  Avenue, 
10  Cooper  Union. 

NEW  YORK,  Jan.  13th,  1863. 

MADAM,  —  A  council  was  held  in  Washington,  at 
the  rooms  of  the  United  States  Sanitary  Commission, 
on  the  22d  and  24th  of  last  November.  It  was  com 
posed  of  delegates  from  the  different  branches  of  the 
Commission,  —  Chicago,  and  Louisville,  Ky.,  being  rep 
resented,  as  well  as  Boston  and  New  York. 

The  following  conclusions  were  arrived  at :  — 

1st.  There  are  130,000  sick  and  wounded  soldiers 
now  scattered  among  our  hospitals  and  camps. 

2d.  Our  Government  is  most  liberal  and  humane  in 
its  care  of  these  suffering  soldiers,  and  the  Surgeon- 
General  of  the  Medical  Department  zealous  and  efficient 
in  the  performance  of  his  duties. 

3d.  The  historical  experience  of  all  nations  in  time 
of  war  (as  well  as  our  own)  shows  that,  notwithstanding 
the  utmost  liberality  of  governmental  provision,  there 
is  a  large  amount  of  suffering  which  must  be  alleviated, 
if  at  all,  by  the  volunteer  aid  of  the  people. 

4th.  After  an  experience  of  eighteen  months,  it  is 
acknowledged,  by  the  officers  of  the  Army  of  the  United 


272  APPENDIX  E. 

States,  that  the  best  and  safest  channel  (because  the 
only  one  authorized  by  Government)  through  which  the 
gifts  from  the  people  to  the  soldiers  can  pass  is  the 
United  States  Sanitary  Commission.  The  Commission 
works  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  Government. 

5th.  The  Commission  collects  supplies  from  all  the 
loyal  States,  and  distributes  them  to  the  soldiers  of  the 
United  States,  without  distinction  of  State  or  regiment, 
giving  first  to  those  who  need  it  most,  and  wherever  the 
need  is  the  greatest.  This  is  the  federal  principle,  upon 
which  all  the  operations  of  the  Commission  are  based. 

6th.  Out  of  25,000  boxes  sent  to  the  Commission, 
but  one  has  been  lost.  There  are  at  least  25,000  boxes 
of  hospital  supplies,  directed  to  individuals  in  regiments, 
now  in  the  storehouses  of  express  companies  in  Wash 
ington,  who  are  unable  to  deliver  them  because  the 
owners  cannot  be  found. 

7th.  Supplies,  even  when  received  by  regiments,  can 
not  be  used  by  the  very  sick  or  seriously  wounded  men 
of  that  regiment.  These  men  are  transferred  to  gen 
eral  hospitals,  where  they  are  no  longer  under  the  care 
of  the  regimental  surgeon. 

8th.  Although  our  Army  and  Navy  is  now  larger  than 
ever,  with  a  corresponding  increase  of  sickness,  the 
amount  of  supplies  now  received  by  the  Commission  is 
ten  times  less  than  the  receipts  of  a  year  ago. 

9th.  In  view  of  this  fact,  a  more  thorough  organiza 
tion  of  the  whole  country  should  be  attempted,  and 
soldiers'  aid  societies,  tributary  to  the  Commission, 
established  in  every  city,  town,  and  village  throughout 
the  loyal  States.  If  possible,  the  contributions  should 
be  made  regularly,  that  the  Commission  may  know  what 
supplies  it  may  depend  upon. 


APPENDIX  E.  273 

10th.  There  is  at  present  no  reserve  stock  of  supplies 
in  the  storehouses  of  the  Commission,  either  at  Boston, 
New  York,  Philadelphia,  or  Washington,  with  the 
exception  of  lint,  bandages,  old  linen,  old  cotton,  and 
pillow-cases.  The  most  imperative  need  is  for  flannel 
shirts,  flannel  drawers,  socks,  slippers,  bedsacks,  quilts, 
and  blankets. 

And,  lastly,  \ve  acknowledge  that  the  magnitude  and 
importance  of  this  work  have  only  lately  burst  fully 
upon  us,  with  the  heavy  responsibility  attached  to  it. 
We  hope  that  every  loyal  woman  in  the  country  will 
feel  this  responsibility  with  us,  and  look  upon  this  work 
as  a  sacred  duty.  It  requires  sacrifice  ;  it  requires  time 
and  money,  and  earnest,  steady,  relentless  work,  which 
is  to  last  as  long  as  the  war  lasts.  Let  us  think  of  it 
as  a  privilege  as  well  as  a  duty,  with  a  deep  conviction 
of  the  high  principles  which  govern  it,  —  humanity, 
patriotism,  Christianity. 

We  are  desirous  of  making  every  explanation  in 
regard  to  the  above  statements  which  may  be  desired. 

As  Secretary  of  the  Soldiers'  Aid  Society  of  your 
town  or  village,  an  auxiliary  of  the  Woman's  Central 
Association  of  Relief,  branch  of  the  Sanitary  Commis-; 
sion,  will  you  be  kind  enough  to  answer  the  following 
questions,  which  I  ask  with  the  view  of  obtaining  such 
information  as  will  lead  to  the  furtherance  of  our  com 
mon  object,  —  the  care  of  our  sick  and  wounded  soldiers 
and  sailors  :  — 

1st.  What  is  the  state  of  feeling  which  exists  in 
your  community  in  regard  to  the  Commission  ? 

2d.  Is  the  broad,  federal  principle  upon  which  it  is 
based  thoroughly  understood  by  the  people,  and  do  they 
agree  that  it  is  the  right  one  ? 
18 


274  APPENDIX  E. 

3d.  What  reports,  if  any,  prejudicial  to  the  Commis 
sion  are  in  circulation  in  your  neighborhood  ?  And 
what  difficulties  have  you  to  contend  with  ? 

4th.  When  was  your  Society  organized,  and  how 
often  does  it  meet?  Please  send  me  the  name  of  your 
society,  and  the  names  of  its  president  and  secretary. 
Is  it  the  only  one  in  your  town  or  village  ? 

5th.  What  circulars,  issued  by  the  Commission,  have 
lately  been  received  by  you  ?  Is  this  printed  matter 
read  aloud  at  the  meetings,  and  is  it  received  with  any 
interest  ? 

6th.  Have  all  supplies  sent  from  you  to  us  been 
acknowledged  ?  If  not,  please  send  a  list,  made  out  in 
detail,  of  the  contents  of  each  box  missing,  with  the  date 
of  forwarding.  We  have  received  many  unknown  boxes, 
which  we  would  gladly  acknowledge. 

7th.  To  which  branch  of  the  Commission  is  it  most 
economical  for  you  to  send  supplies,  and  what  facilities 
have  you  in  regard  to  transportation  ? 

I  shall  be  much  indebted  if  you  will  send  me  a 
friendly  letter,  in  answer  to  the  above  questions,  within 
ten  days  after  the  receipt  of  this,  if  possible.  Any 
suggestions  from  you,  by  which  the  work  can  be  made 
more  effective,  will  be  most  gladly  received  by  me. 
LOUISA  LEE  SCHUYLER, 

10  Cooper  Union, 

Miss  ELLEN  COLLINS,  New  York. 

Mrs.  T.  D'OREMIEULX, 

Miss  GERTRUDE  STEVENS, 

Miss  LOUISA  LEE  SCHUYLER, 

Mr.  S.  W.  BRIDGHAM, 

W.  H.  DRAPER,  M.  D., 

Committee  on  Correspondence  and  Supplies. 


APPENDIX  E.  275 

I  propose  to  answer  the  questions  contained  in  this 
circular  separately,  each  answer  being  based  upon  re 
turns  made  in  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  letters  ;  these 
letters  representing  the  feeling  of  the  people  throughout 
New  York  State,  Connecticut,  the  western  parts  of 
Massachusetts  and  Vermont,  and  the  northern  part  of 
New  Jersey. 

Answer  1st.  The  state  of  feeling  which  exists  in 
regard  to  the  Commission  is  favorable  ;  more  so  at  the 
present  time  than  ever  before.  The  degree  of  favor  is 
in  direct  proportion  to  the  efforts  which  have  been  made 
to  enlighten  and  instruct  those  who  are  interested  in  the 
care  of  the  soldier,  as  to  the  principles  and  workings  of 
the  Commission. 

Answer  2d.  The  federal  principle  upon  which  the 
Commission  is  based  is  more  thoroughly  understood  and 
appreciated  throughout  the  State  of  New  York,  and  in 
Massachusetts  and  Vermont,  than  in  Connecticut  and 
New  Jersey. 

Answer  3d.  The  Commission  has  lived  down  most  of 
the  prejudicial  reports  in  circulation  concerning  it.  It 
is  still  accused  of  dishonesty,  and  all  other  crimes,  by 
those  whose  only  motive  is  to  undermine  the  confidence 
of  the  people  in  anything  which  tends  to  strengthen  our 
national  cause.  There  are  always  returned  soldiers 
bringing  with  them  stories  of  dishonest  surgeons  and 
nurses,  some  of  which  must  necessarily  be  true  in  so 
large  an  army  as  ours.  We  never  deny  these  reports, 
but  the  proofs  (names  and  dates)  are  asked  for,  with  a 
promise  of  investigation,  and  the  punishment  of  all 
convicted  delinquents.  We  have  not,  as  yet,  been  able 
to  trace  back  any  of  these  reports  to  anything  tangible. 
The  man  in  Troy,  who  was  so  willing  and  anxious  to 


276  APPENDIX  E. 

swear  that  he  had  bought  sanitary  stores  from  one  of 
our  agents,  disappeared  the  day  before  the  oath  was  to 
be  administered.  In  almost  every  village  there  is  the 
story  of  a  returned  soldier  who  spent  his  last  dollar  for 
a  pot  of  jelly,  and  then  finds  his  mother's  name  on  the 
wrapper.  But  where  is  the  soldier,  and  what  was  his 
mother's  name  ?  A  lady  goes  to  Willard's  and  finds  in 
her  room  sheets  marked  with  her  own  name  and  the 
stamp  of  the  Commission.  But  who  is  the  lady  ?  and 
where  are  the  sheets?  One  more  story,  the  scene  of 
which  is  also  laid  in  Washington.  A  sick  and  dis 
charged  soldier,  too  weak  to  go  on  his  homeward  jour 
ney  without  a  few  days  of  rest,  while  lying  on  a 
comfortable  bed,  was  seen  to  shake  his  head,  rub  his 
eyes,  and  gaze  intently  at  the  handsome  quilt  spread 
over  him.  Suddenly  he  fell  back,  exclaiming,  with  deep 
emotion,  "  It  is — yes,  it  is  my  wife's  best  spare-room 
quilt."  We  do  not  give  his  name  ;  the  place  was  the 
"  Home  for  Sick  Soldiers  passing  through  Washington," 
established  by  the  Sanitary  Commission. 

The  chief  difficulty  our  auxiliaries  have  to  contend 
with  is  the  want  of  funds.  The  households  have  been 
gleaned  of  all  superfluous  linen  and  cotton,  and  the 
price  of  new  materials  is  double  and  treble  jthe  usual 
rates.  By  offering  to  pay  the  freight-charges  at  this 
end  of  the  line,  it  would  throw  the  moneyed  burden 
upon  this  city,  and  thus  enable  the  little  towns  and  vil 
lages  to  put  all  their  funds  into  materials.  This  would 
relieve  them  very  much,  and  would  increase  our  own 
receipts. 

(Answer  4th  is  omitted  as  unimportant  here.) 
Answer  5th.  In  the  country,  the  printed  matter  issued 
by  the  Commission  is  received  with  the  greatest  interest. 


APPENDIX  E.  277 

It  is  read  aloud  at  the  meetings,  passed  from  house  to 
house,  and  extracts  from  the  circulars  and  reports  are 
very  generally  read  from  the  pulpit.  Every  day  letters 
come  to  us  asking  for  more. 

(Answer  6th  omitted  as  unimportant  here.) 
Answer  1th.  The  facilities  in  regard  to  transporta 
tion  vary.  Some  speak  of  boats  and  railroads  passing 
their  doors,  and  so  down  to  a  letter  from  Delaware 
County.  N.  Y.,  which  says  :  "  It  is  most  convenient  to 
send  to  New  York.  We  cart  our  supplies  fifty  miles 
to  the  Hudson  River,  and  then  forward  by  boat  or  rail 
road."  In  several  instances,  they  are  carted  fifteen, 
twenty,  and  thirty  miles.  But  comparatively  little 
freight  has  been  carried  without  charge,  and  these  trans 
portation  bills  are  enormous.  The  Long  Island,  Ja 
maica,  and  Haerlem  Railroads  are  the  only  ones  which 
have  consented  to  carry  packages  for  the  Commission 
free  of  charge,  though  all  our  railroad  companies  have 
been  applied  to.  Similar  applications  have  been  granted 
by  all  the  New-England  railroads  centring  in  Boston ; 
and  the  Western  railroads  carry  the  supplies  of  the 
Commission  entirely  free,  or  at  very  reduced  rates. 

This  whole  correspondence  is  most  interesting.  Some 
of  the  letters  are  from  fourteen  to  sixteen  pages  in 
length,  —  friendly,  sympathetic,  and  encouraging  letters, 
some  of  them  even  confidential,  and  all  so  lull  of  inter 
est  in  our  work,  and  regrets  that  they  are.  unable  to  do 
more  for  it.  It  is  the  farmers  and  villagers  who  are 
making  the  real  sacrifices  for  the  war.  They  work 
early  and  late  for  the  soldiers,  before  and  after  the  day's 
work  is  done  ;  they  walk  and  drive  for  miles,  through 
snow  and  mud,  to  the  weekly  sewing-circle  ;  they  go 


278  APPENDIX   E. 

from  house  to  house,  begging  money  and  materials  ; 
they  deny  themselves.  "  I,  and  a  few  friends,  have 
determined  not  to  buy  any  more  new  material  for  our 
own  clothes,  now  that  the  prices  are  so  high,  and  the 
hospital  supplies  are  so  much  needed,"  writes  one  of 
these  women  ;  "  we  cannot  afford  any  longer  to  give 
both  to  ourselves  and  to  the  soldiers." 

The  work  is  no  longer  being  carried  on  from  motives 
of  humanity,  as  it  was  at  .first;  it  has  become  a  test  of 
patriotism.  Those  who  are  the  truest  patriots,  the  real 
lovers  of  the  Union,  are  the  earnest,  steadfast  workers. 
It  is  the  "  grumblers,"  the  "  Peace  Democrats,"  the  "  Se 
cessionists,"  and  the  "  Copperheads,"  they  tell  us,  who 
will  not  understand  it,  who  discourage  it  in  every  way. 

Plan  of  Organization.  —  The  original  plan  of  organ 
ization  of  the  Commission  for  the  seaboard  States  was 
the  establishment  of  three  branches,  or  distributing  de 
pots,  at  Boston,  New  York,  and  Philadelphia.  Each 
of  these  branches  was  to  collect  supplies  from  that  part 
of  the  country  which  would  naturally  seek  it  as  its 
nearest  or  most  convenient  depot.  The  large  cities  and 
towns  in  these  fields  were  to  be  "centres  of  collection," 
gathering  supplies  from  their  vicinities,  and  forwarding 
them  to  the  distributing  depots.  The  branches  were  to 
organize  and  canvass  their  respective  fields  as  they 
thought  best. 

At  the  council  held  in  Washington,  last  November, 
the  plan  of  organization  of  the  Boston  Branch  was 
thought  superior  to  all  others,  and  we  have  consequently 
adopted  it.  This  is  the  division  of  the  country  into 
sections,  these  sections  being  determined,  not  by  county 
lines  (although  these  arc  often  most  convenient),  but  by 


APPENDIX   E.  279 

lines  of  transportation,  rivers,  and  railroads.  One  or 
more  associate  managers  are  appointed  to  each  section. 

The  duties  of  an  associate  manager  are,  — 

1st.  To  ascertain  whether  soldiers'  aid  societies 
exist  in  every  town  and  village  of  her  section ;  and,  if 
so,  for  what  they  are  working. 

2d.  When  they  are  not  working  for  the  Commission, 
to  use  all  her  influence  to  induce  them  to  do  so,  meeting 
all  objections  by  bringing  forward,  in  a  kindly  spirit,  the 
convincing  proofs  furnished  by  the  published  documents 
of  the  Commission,  and  the  testimony  of  the  officers  of 
the  Army  of  the  United  States. 

3d.  When  such  societies,  tributary  to  the  Commis 
sion,  do  not  exist,  we  wish  to  have  them  organized  by 
our  associate  ;  or,  if  preferred,  she  may  send  us  the 
name  of  the  right  person,  in  the  particular  town  or  vil 
lage,  to  whom  we  should  address  ourselves. 

4th.  To  visit  all  the  auxiliary  societies  in  her  section, 
from  time  to  time,  for.  the  purpose  of  giving  information, 
answering  questions,  dispelling  doubts,  and  encouraging 
workers,  —  this  personal  intercourse  being  thought  very 
desirable.  This,  however,  would  be  at  the  option  of  our 
associate,  who  can  judge  better  than  we  can  how  best  to 
produce  the  desired  result  in  her  own  section. 

5th.  To  keep  the  broad  federal  principle,  upon  which 
the  Commission  is  based,  ever  before  the  people.  Our 
whole  experience  shows  that  our  people  are  truly  liberal 
in  spirit,  and  only  ask  for  information  as  to  the  best  way 
of  working  for. the  sick  and  wounded.  Where,  during 
the  past  year,  whole  communities  have  worked  for 
special  regiments,  it  was  only  necessary  to  explain  the 
national  principle  upon  which  the  Sanitary  Commission 
rests,  and  it  was  immediately  adopted. 


280  APPENDIX  E. 

6th.  To  bring  every  influence  to  bear  which  may 
stimulate  this  work,  the  responsibility  of  which  we  feel 
so  deeply,  and  which  may  tend  to  make  it  more  thorough 
and  efficient.  It  should  always  be  presented  on  the 
high  grounds  of  duty,  patriotism;  and  Christianity. 

7th.  To  keep  herself  thoroughly  informed  of  the 
working  of  the  Commission,  by  frequent  correspond 
ence  with  this  office.  When  questions  are  asked  us 
which  we  cannot  answer,  we  write  to  the  General  Sec 
retary  at  Washington  for  information,  or  refer  our 
Associate  directly  to  him. 

8th.  To  send  us  a  friendly  letter  once  a  month,  with 
a  report  of  the  condition  of  things  in  her  section,  point 
ing  out  any  errors  on  our  part,  and  making  any  sugges 
tions  which  may  help  us  to  make  our  work  more 
effective,  and  which  will  be  gladly  received. 

In  addition  to  this,  several  gentlemen  have  been  lect 
uring  for  us  in  behalf  of  the  Commission,  at  intervals 
during  the  last  three  months.  Mr.  Furness  has  been 
speaking  in  the  towns  and  villages  upon  the  Hudson 
River,  and  has  lately  returned  from  a  most  successful 
tour  along  the  line  of  the  New  York  Central  Railroad 
and  the  centre  of  this  State.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Hadley 
has  been  canvassing  the  line  of  the  Haerlem  Railroad, 
and  is  now  in  Saratoga  and  Washington  counties.  The 
Rev.  Herbert  Lancey  is  now  in  the  western  part  of 
this  State,  and  Chaplain  Phillips  has  been  speaking  in 
the  Presbyterian  churches  of  this  city.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Tiffany  is  doing  most  excellent  service  in  Con 
necticut.  He,  and  Mr.  Hadley,  and  Mr.  Lancey,  are 
the  only  lecturers  at  present  assigned  to  this  branch  by 
.the  central  office  in  Washington.  The  result  of  these 
efforts,  so  far  as  we  can  judge,  has  been  most  bene 
ficial. 


APPENDIX  E.  281 

I  will  give  but  one  interesting  incident  rrom  the 
reports  of  these  gentlemen.  Mr.  Furness  had  just 
been  addressing  an  audience  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and 
writes  :  "  While  I  was  talking,  a  man  came  in  and  took 
his  seat,  listening  very  attentively.  After  I  had  finished, 
he  rose  and  proceeded  to  tell  how  the  lives  of  sixteen 
Rochester  boys  were  saved  by  the  Sanitary  Commission  ; 
and  so  earnest  did  he  become,  that  at  last  his  voice 
trembled,  his  eyes  filled,  and  he  fairly  sobbed  out,  — 
'And  I  pray  God  every  day  to  bless  every  man  con 
nected  with  that  noble  institution.'  Coming,  as  this  did, 
without  any  possible  collusion,  and  from  the  man  who, 
as  well  as  I  could  learn,  had  been  deputed  by  the  city 
of  Rochester  to  look  after  the  soldiers,  it  went  home 
with  thrilling  effect." 

In  another  month  we  shall  have  closed  the  second 
year  of  our  work  ;  and  we  may  feel  gratified  at  the 
proofs  which  are  now  daily  received  of  the  way  in 
which  the  Sanitary  Commission  has  grown  into  the 
confidence  of  our  people  and  our  Army.  We  are  still, 
however,  too  dependent  upon  the  sympathy  of  our 
friends  not  to  appreciate  and  feel  grateful  for  a  com 
pliment  lately  received  from  one  of  our  correspondents, 
who  was  "  so  glad  to  find  we  were  not  a  soulless  cor 
poration  !  " 

Respectfully  submitted, 

LOUISA  LEE  SCHUYLER, 

Mem.  Executive  Com. 


282  APPENDIX   F. 


APPENDIX  F. 

THE  Branch  of  the  United  States  Sanitary  Commis 
sion  at  Chicago,  111.,  represents  the  Northwest,  namely, 
the  States  of  Illinois,  Wisconsin,  Michigan,  Iowa,  In 
diana,  and  Minnesota.  Fed  by  the  patriotism  and 
liberality  of  these  States,  it  has  done,  and  is  doing  a 
magnificent  work  with  the  armies  of  the  West.  The 
earnestness  and  devotion  of  its  agents,  both  men  and 
women,  has  not  been  and  cannot  be  surpassed.  They 
have  lately  been  employed  on  a  great  enterprise  called 
"  The  Northwestern  Fair  for  the  Armies."  A  letter 
received  at  this  last  moment  from  the  Associate  Secre 
tary  for  the  East,  dated  at  Chicago  during  the  progress 
of  the  Fair,  speaks  of  it  as  "  a  splendid  success  "  ;  and 
adds,  "  I  cannot  express  too  warmly  the  energy  and 
devotion  of  these  admirable  women."  * 

The  Chicago  Branch  of  the  Commission  receives  im 
portant  assistance  from  a  large  society  in  Milwaukee, 
Wis.  We  cannot  dwell  at  length  upon  whatHhis  society 
has  accomplished ;  but  Mrs.  Colt,  the  lady  to  whom  is 
owing,  in  a  chief  degree,  its  great  success,  has  written 
a  few  words  addressed  to  the  women  of  her  State,  which 
contain  so  vital  a  truth  and  so  wise  a  prayer  that  they 
must  be  given  here,  in  the  hope  that  they  may,  in  these 
pages,  carry  their  influence  to  the  women  of  the  whole 
country.  She  says  :  — 

"  A  great  difficulty  wrhich  our  surgeons  have  to  con 
tend  with  in  their  patients  is  homesickness.  Medicines 
are  then  useless.  If  the  men  are  not  all  heroes,  let  the 
women  try  to  be  all  heroines.  And  let  me  beg  every 

*  We  learn  that  the  sum  of  money  given  to  the  Commission,  as 
the  proceeds  of  the  Fair,  exceeds  $50,000. 


APPENDIX   F.  283 

woman  to  write  to  her  soldier  cheerfully,  encouragingly, 
and  heroically,  or  not  at  all.  If  they  knew  the  effect 
of  their  letters  of  condolence  and  complaint,  they  would 
be  more  careful.  A  soldier  came  to  me  in  Nashville, 
choking  with  emotion,  his  wife  very  sick,  and  he  unable 
to  go  to  her.  I  promised  to  write  and  have  her  cared 
for  ;  and  it  was  only  by  reiterated  promises  that  the 
letter  should  be  written  and  sent  at  once  that  he  could 
be  soothed  and  comforted.  As  soon  as  my  letter  reached 
Wisconsin,  she  was  perfectly  well,  and  no  doubt  sorry 
she  had  written  while  feeling  ill  and  lonely.  I  was 
surprised  that  letters  from  home  sometimes  pain  instead 
of  cure. 

"  Women  of  Wisconsin  !  Our  country,  bleeding  at 
every  pore,  needs  her  soldiers,  and  needs  them  to  be 
brave  and  cheerful  ;  and  we  look  to  you  to  keep  them  so. 
It  is  better  than  any  other  labor  of  love  which  you  can 
do.  If  you  must  grieve,  keep  it  from  your  sons  and  hus 
bands.  It  is  unwomanly  to  put  your  burden  upon  them. 
It  is  unworthy  of  our  country's  daughters  !  And  let  me 
assure  you;  that,  inevitable  as  are  the  horrors  of  war, 
everything  is  done  by  our  Government  for  the  wants 
of  her  soldiers  ;  and  when  she  from  her  [fonderous 
machinery  works  slowly,  the  United  States  Sanitary 
Commission  with  its  quick  messengers  of  mercy  is 
always  ready."  .... 

Oh,  that  all  women  would  lay  these  words  at  heart ! 
We  say  all,  for  we  know  that  there  are  many  wives  and 
mothers  and  sisters  who  give  to  their  soldiers  the  cheer 
ful  courage  which  none  but  they  can  give.  But  there 
are  others  who  do  not  do  so.  To  such  women  it  must 
be  told  that,  not  very  long  since,  a  poor,  weak,  suffering 
man,  harassed  by  the  fretful  letters  of  his  mother,  said 
to  the  writer,  "  She  worries  me  more  than  my  wound." 


284 


APPENDIX  G. 


APPENDIX  G. 

Supplies  furnished  by  the  Sanitary    Commission  to  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  July  1st  to  3lst  August. 


HOSPITAL 
FURNTTURK. 

CLOTHING1'                   HOSPITAL  DELICACIES. 

Quilts    '         30,197 
Blankets        13,500 
Sheets            42,945 
Pillows          35,877 
Pillow-cases  49,096 
Pillow-ticks    2,209 
Bed-ticks      11,716 

Shirts                 87,994 
Drawers             48,303 
Socks                 80,322 
Slippers             14,984 
Handkerchiefs  43,606 
Towols               65,164 
Wrappers           10,235 
Flannel  bands     3,684 

Condensed  milk,  cans  2,624 
Jelly,  jars                     6.959 
Tea;  Ibs.                          541 
Spirits,  bottles             1,026 
Wine,  doni.  gals.            570 
Wines,  foreign,  gals.     450 
Vinegar,  bottles             692 
Svrups,      "                 1,435 
Beef-stock,  liquid,  Ibs.  634 
Beef-stock,  solid,  Ibs.  1,052 
Farinaceous  food,lbs.!2,268 

Besides  these  things,  a  vast  amount  of  miscellaneous 
articles,  from  rubber  cloth  of  every  kind,  crutches,  oiled 
silk,  flannel,  to  eggnog,  porter,  and  ale,  was  furnished. 

The  work  of  collecting  and  forwarding  these  supplies 
was  one  of  the  heaviest  of  the  unobtrusive  work*  of  the 
Commission.  The  hospital  transports  arrived  at  the 
various  ports  of  Washington,  Philadelphia,* New  York, 
and  Boston,  especially  at  the  port  of  New  York.  Each 
vessel  had  to  be  met  on  her  arrival  with  arrangements 
ready  to  unload  her  freight  of  sick  and  wounded  men. 
She  had  to  be  overhauled,  cleaned,  and  entirely  refitted 
for  the  needs  of  another  voyage.  Besides  this,  the  requi 
sitions  sent  up  from  White  House  or  Harrison's  Landing, 
to  meet  the  needs  at  those  points,  had  to  be  carefully  and 
liberally  filled,  and  the  vessel  loaded  and  despatched. 
Sometimes  three  of  these  vessels  arrived  in  New  York 
during  one  week.  Nor  did  the  work  end  here.  Sur 
geons,  dressers,  nurses,  agents,  &c.,  &c.,  had  to  be  ob 
tained,  their  qualifications  examined,  besides  many 


APPENDIX  H.  285 

other  laborious  and  worrying  details  which  cannot  be 
given  here. 

To  Dr.  Agnew,  in  New  York,  special  thanks  are  due, 
also  to  Dr.  Jenkins,  in  Washington,  (during  part  of  the 
time,)  for  their  share  in  this  work,  which  was  extremely 
laborious  and  most  successful.  No  mention  has  been 
made  in  the  text  of  the  "  St.  Mark  "  and  the  "  Euterpe," 
two  magnificent  clipper  ships  fitted  up  by  the  Sanitary 
Commission  in  New  York  as  hospital  transports. 
Owing  to  their  want  of  steam-power,  and  their  great 
draught  of  water,  they  were  unable  to  go  up  the  rivers, 
and  were  therefore  used  chiefly  as  receiving  hospital 
ships  in  the  waters  of  Hampton  Roads. 

On  Mr.  Olmsted's  return  from  Harrison's  Landing 
he  collected  and  sent  down,  at  the  most  pressing  need 
of  the  Army,  (the  shadow  of  scurvy  was  then  hanging 
over  it,)  a  vessel  freighted  with  vegetables.  A  cargo  of 
ice  had  already  gone  down.  These  vegetables  proved 
of  inestimable  service,  and  were  distributed  to  all  the 
regiments  at  Harrison's  Landing. 


APPENDIX  H. 

CONSTANT  and  finally  successful  efforts  were  made 
by  the  Sanitary  Commission  for  the  release  of  these 
gentlemen.  No  doubt  their  release  was  given  the  more 
readily  because  of  an  earnest  appeal  in  their  behalf 
addressed  to  General  Lee  by  twelve  surgeons  of  the 
Confederate  army  who  were  within  our  lines  after  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg.  On  the  return  of  these  agents  to 
Washington,  they  stated  that  Dr.  Wilkins,  surgeon  in 


286  APPENDIX  H. 

charge  of  the  C.  S.  Military  Prison  No.  1,  (the  Libby 
Prison,)  had  informed  them,  that,  if  supplies  of  clothing, 
bedding,  and  reading-matter  should  be  sent  to  his  care 
from  the  Sanitary  Commission,  he  would  guarantee 
their  distribution  among  the  Union  prisoners.  They 
also  stated  that  Capt.  G.  W.  Alexander,  A.  A.  G.  and 
A.  P.  M.,  Castle  Thunder,  made  a  similar  promise  with 
regard  to  reading-matter  within  his  precincts. 

These  gentlemen  added  that  the  above  supplies  were 
greatly  needed  by  our  men,  and  that  a  distribution  of 
such  things  would  be  of  inestimable  benefit  to  them. 

Of  course  it  was  questionable  whether,  if  such  sup 
plies  once  passed  the  line,  they  would  be  permitted  to 
reach  their  destination ;  but  the  Commission  gladly 
acted  on  the  merest  chance  of  their  doing  so,  and  felt 
justified  in  taking  any  trouble  or  expense  in  forward 
ing  supplies  over  our  lines,  provided  such  a  course  in 
volved  no  violation  of  military  rules  and  exigencies  on 
our  side. 

Accordingly,  and  in  behalf  of  our  brave  and  unfortu 
nate  officers  and  men  now  pining  amid  want,  squalor, 
and  mental  inoccupation  in  the  noisome  prisons  of  the 
enemy,  the  Sanitary  Commission  brought  the  subject  to 
the  notice  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  who  replied  as 
follows :  — 

"  WAR  DEPARTMENT, 

"  October  3d,  1863. 

"  Mr.  ALFRED   J.  BLOOR,  Asst.  Sec.    U.  S.  Sanitary 

Commission. 

"  SIR, —  In  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  2d  instant, 
transmitting  correspondence  with  General  Meredith,  in 
reference  to  forwarding  Sanitary  Commission  supplies 
to  the  prisoners  at  Richmond,  the  Secretary  of  War 


APPENDIX   I.  287 

desires  me  to  convey  to  you  his  consent  for  the  trans 
mission  of  the  articles  named,  through  the  lines  as 
requested. 

"  Very  respectfully, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"JAS.  A.  HARDIE, 
"  Assistant  Adjutant- General" 

Supplies  of  those  articles  which  were  mentioned  by 
the  Confederate  officers  were  at  once  forwarded  by  the 
Sanitary  Commission,  which  has  continued  to  forward 
from  time  to  time  supplies  of  the  same  nature ;  also 
articles  of  sick-food,  which  are  now  permitted  to  be  sent 
by  the  Confederate  officers. 

Our  Government  has  now,  however,  undertaken  the 
supply  of  clothing  and  bedding. 


APPENDIX 


Hospital  Cars. 

THE  importance  of  some  improvement  in  the  railway 
transportation  of  wounded  men  was  deeply  impressed 
on  Dr.  Elisha  Harris,  and  other  members  of  the  Com 
mission  who  witnessed  the  painful  journeys  of  such  men 
over  the  memorable  route  from  Fair  Oaks  and  Savage's 
Station  to  White  House.  To  Dr.  Harris  the  great  alle 
viation  given  by  the  invention  of  the  hospital  cars  is 
chiefly  due.  These  cars  may  properly  be  termed  ambu 
lances,  for  they  are  not  only  fitted  up  exclusively  for 
the  transportation  of  military  patients,  but  they  are  fur 
nished  with  beds,  (swung  on  elastic  springs  to  prevent 


288  APPENDIX  K. 

the  jar  of  motion,)  couches,  pillows,  and  reclining  chairs, 
a  medicine  closet,  a  complete  cuisine  and  all  the  appli 
ances  and  attendance  of  a  hospital.  They  are  venti 
lated,  warmed,  and  lighted  with  special  reference  to  the 
wants  of  sick  and  wounded  men,  and  most  of  them  are 
grooved  to  run  upon  railways  of  different  gauges,  so  as 
to  avoid  needless  transfers  of  patients.  Fourteen  such 
cars  have  been  prepared  after  the  plans  and  specifica 
tions  of  the  Commission,  and  were  wholly  or  in  part 
furnished  and  managed  by  it.  Ten  of  them  are  now 
running  regularly  on  long  routes,  —  four  of  them  on  the 
route  connecting  Louisville  and  Nashville  with  the  near 
est  railway  point  to  General  Grant's  Army.  The  ded 
ication  on  the  part  of  railway  officials  of  the  use  of  these 
cars  has  been  generous  and  patriotic.  The  superintend 
ent  of  a  railroad  company  which  constructed  one  such 
car,  turned  it  over  to  the  Sanitary  Commission  with 
these  words  :  "  I  have  no  preferences  as  to  where  you 
run  the  car  that  has  been  fitted  up  in  accordance  with 
the  plans  and  specifications  furnished  by  yourselves.  I 
therefore  turn  the  car  over  to  you,  to  dispose  of  as  you 
deem  proper,  believing  that  you  only  desire  to  alleviate 
the  sufferings  of  the  sick  and  wounded." 


APPENDIX   K. 

IN  this  connection  a  little  story  must  be  told,  —  riot  that 
it  is  a  very  rare  one,  but  because  it  happened  only  a 
few  days  ago,  and  has  a  freshness  and  charm  from  the 
manly  character  of  the  officer  about  whom  it  is  told. 

One  of  the  associate  secretaries  had  occasion  to  visit 


APPENDIX   K.  289 

a  post  in  the  vicinity  of  Washington.  The  commanding 
officer,  at  the  close  of  the  conversation,  said  :  "  Now  I 
must  tell  you  something.  I  was  colonel  of  a  regiment 
when  the  war  broke  out,  and  one  of  your  Inspectors 
came  about  my  camp,  and  put  me  through  the  closest 
set  of  questions  I  ever  had  to  answer.  I  do  believe 
there  were  hundreds  of  them.  Well,  I  did  not  like  it, 
and  I  believe  I  told  him  I  hoped  I  might  never  see  him 
in  my  camp  again.  But  since  then  I  've  been  sick  and 
wounded,  and  I  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission,  and  so  have  many  of  my  poor  fellows ;  and,  do 
you  know,  the  other  day  that  same  Inspector  came  out 
here.  I  knew  him.  I  don't  know  whether  he  knew 
me  ;  but  there  was  only  one  thing  I  could  do;  so  I  went 
to  him  and  offered  him  my  hand,  and  I  said,  '  May  God 
give  me  the  opportunity  of  helping  the  Sanitary  Com 
mission.'  " 

And  in  this  same  connection  we  will  give  a  letter 
published  some  time  ago  in  a  Wisconsin  paper.  The 
writer  was  an  army  surgeon.  His  mission  to  White 
House  after  the  battle  of  Hanover  Court  House  is  dis 
tinctly  recollected  by  some  of  the  hospital  company  sta 
tioned  at  that  point. 

"  I  was  reminded  so  much  by of  what  I  have 

myself  seen,  that  I  feel  like  telling  my  own  experiences 
with  the  National  Sanitary  Commission. 

"  When  I  went  into  the  field  in  1861,  I  found  a  large 
proportion  of  the  surgeons,  for  some  cause  which  I  have 
not  learned,  opposed  to  that  Commission.  It  of  course 
took  me  but  a  little  while  to  become  strongly  prejudiced 
and  bitterly  opposed.  Every  agent  sent  to  inspect  us 
was  made  the  subject  of  not  very  flattering  remark. 
Every  pamphlet  which  it  issued  was  criticized.  One 
19 


290  APPENDIX  K. 

evening  a  number  of  surgeons  met  in  my  tent.  The 
Commission  soon  became  our  subject ;  something  must 
be  written  against  it,  and  I  must  write  it.  I  was  full 
of  the  subject,  and  I  threw  into  my  article  all  the  force 
I  could  command.  I  had  nearly  finished  it  when  the 
sound  of  artillery  came  booming  over  the  country, — 
heavier  and  heavier  grew  the  roar,  —  a  battle  was  being 
fought  at  Drainesville.  The  surgeons  dispersed  to  col 
lect  appliances  for  the  wounded.  The  sufferers  in  the 
battle  began  to  arrive.  We  had  scarcely  anything  they 
needed.  The  noise  of  the  battle  had  reached  Washing 
ton,  and  by  the  time  the  wounded  were  examined,  in 
came  those  sanitary  agents  with  the  very  articles  of 
comfort  which  Government  had  failed  to  supply.  My 
article,  which  had  been  hastily  thrown  aside,  I  now  put 
away  to  finish  at  a  '  more  convenient  season.' 

"  Time  passed  on  and  we  found  ourselves  on  the  Pen- 
.insula.  In  the  haste  of  moving,  most  of  the  appliances 
of  comfort  had  been  left  behind.  .  .  .  After  the  battle 
of  Lee's  Mill,  I  was  almost  without  medicine,  or  any 
articles  of  diet  for  the  sick,  though  I  had  been  for  weeks 
striving  to  procure  them.  What  should  I  do  ?  Just 
then  were  discovered  a  number  of '  those  sanitary  chaps 
who  are  always  poking  their  noses  into  everybody's 
business.'  Somehow  or  other  they  had  the  very  things 
we  needed.  That  night,  after  having  finished  my  labors 
with  the  wounded,  I  went  to  my  trunk,  took  out  that 
article  '  on  the  Sanitary,'  and  read  a  few  lines.  It  did 
not  read  as  well  as  I  thought  it  would,  so  I  raised  a 
garment  and  put  it  under,  where  it  would  not  stare  me 
in  the  face  every  time  I  looked  in. 

"  The  battle  of  Williamsburg  followed ;  and  before  the 
smoke  of  the  battle  had  blown  away,  right  alongside 


APPENDIX  K.  291 

of  our  Army  lay  one  of  those  ever-present  sanitary 
steamers,  freighted  not  only  with  necessaries,  but  with 
luxuries  for  the  sick  and  wounded.  They  had  only  to 
be  asked  for  and  they  were  distributed  to  us  without 
limit.  Another  shirt  was  thrown  over  that  article  ! 

"  I  was  in  charge  of  Liberty  Hall  Hospital  at  the 
time  of  the  battle  of  Hanover  Court  House.  Here  both 
the  sick  and  wounded  were  crowded  on  me.  Five  hun 
dred  were  piled  in  at  one  time.  I  had  not  a  bed,  not  a 
dozen  blankets,  not  a  cooking  utensil,  and  nothing  to 
cook.  In  vain  did  I  appeal  to  the  medical  director,  — 
in  vain  did  he  appeal  to  higher  authority.  The  neces 
saries  of  life  were  scarcely  to  be  had.  I  begged,  I 
plead,  —  no  use.  A  few  days  after  the  battle,  on  the 
breaking  up  of  other  hospitals,  the  wounded  who  could 
not  be  moved  to  a  greater  distance  were  sent  to  me,  — 
some  of  them  in  a  most  loathsome  condition,  their 
wounds  gangrenous  and  alive  with  worms.  Again  I 
appealed  for  assistance,  and  with  such  importunity  that 
I  was  threatened  with  dismissal  from  the  service.  I 
procured  a  pass  to  White  House.  There  I  found  the 
United  States  Sanitary  Commission.  I  told  them  the 
story  of  the  soldiers'  suffering.  Hundreds  of  clean  sheets, 
blankets,  bedsacks,  and  pillows  were  packed  in  less  time 
than  it  needs  to  read  the  story.  Boxes  of  condensed 
milk,  farina,  army  soup,  tea,  coffee,  sugar,  oranges,  and 
lemons  were  sent  off  with  astonishing  celerity.  When 
I  departed  there  was  not  a  State  represented  in  my  hos 
pital  but  found  some  article  bearing  the  marks  of  home : 
New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Connecticut,  Vermont,  Mas 
sachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and  Wisconsin,  all  were  there, 
—  both  in  their  soldiers  and  in  their  gifts.  As  I  led 
one  poor  fellow  from  Pennsylvania  to  his  bed,  and  he 


292  APPENDIX  K. 

saw  upon  the  clean  white  sheet  the  name  of  his  family 
and  his  home,  his  convulsive  sobs  shook  the  building. 
....  The  whole  hospital  wept ;  and  asjl  took  my  paper 
and  thrust  it  at  the  bottom  of  my  trunk,  it  may  be  that 
a  few  watery  drops  had  fallen  amongst  its  leaves 

"  The  Array  arrived  at  Harrison's  Landing.  The 
sick  had  been  sent  ahead  of  us.  In  this  connection  I 
shall  state  but  a  single  case  in  illustration.  A  young 
man  from  Milwaukee,  in  whom  I  felt  a  great  interest, 
was  found,  after  a  long  hunt,  in  an  ambulance.  He 
had  all  the  symptoms  of  an  approaching  attack  of  ty 
phus  fever.  Government  transports  were  at  the  wharf 
taking  on  the  wounded.  I  had  the  ambulance  driven 
to  the  river,  and  asked  a  place  for  this  young  man.  It 
was  denied ;  the  transports  were  only  to  take  the 
wounded.  '  But  he  is  in  more  danger  than  hundreds 
of  wounded.'  '  Our  orders  are  peremptory.  We  take 
only  wounded.'  Thirty  hours  there  would  be  certain 
death  to  him.  What  could  I  do  ?  I  succeeded  in 
reaching  a  transport  which  the  Sanitary  Commission 
had.  I  appealed  to  them.  '  We  have  only  two  hundred 
and  forty  on  board  ;  —  we  will  take  him.'  He  was  sent 
to  his  home.  And  does  the  mother  of  that  young  man 
ever  enter  the  Sanitary  Commission  rooms  without 
gratitude  to  that  Commission,  —  and  without  feeling 
that  the  means  for  furnishing  the  conveyance  which 
saved  his  life  were  perhaps  drawn  from  other  States  ? 
I  pass  over  other  scenes  of  suffering  relieved  which  I 
witnessed  at  Centre ville,  South  Mountain,  Crampton's 
Gap,  Antietam,  and  Fredericksburg. 

"  At  Antietam  I  took  the  paper  from  the  bottom  of 
my  trunk,  and,  lest  I  might  see  it  again,  burned  it. 
And  now  I  declare  upon  my  honor  that  I  never  wrote 
it,  and  that  I  never  will  do  so  again." 


APPENDIX  L.  293 


APPENDIX    L. 

When  this  book  was  already  in  type,  it  occurred  to 
the  writer  that  it  contained  no  sufficient  record  of 
the  gratitude  of  the  soldiers  themselves  for  the  relief 
and  succor  of  which  the  book  has  given  a  history. 
It  was  then  too  late  to  do  more  than  make  a  selection 
from  a  few  instances  of  their  affectionate  sense  of 
what  has  been  done  for  them,  which  happened  to  be 
at  hand  at  that  last  moment. 

This  omission  must  be  excused  on  the  ground  that 
the  gratefulness  of  the  men,  especially  on  or  near  the 
field  itself,  is  so  unceasing  that  it  comes  to  be  a  matter 
of  course,  —  forgotten  at  the  moment,  though  remem 
bered  afterwards.  It  is  indeed  a  chief  source  of 
strength  and  courage  for  the  work  of  relief;  and  it 
seems  as  if  it  must  always  be  understood  as  underlying 
the  history  of  it. 

The  following  letters,  &c.,  are,  as  we  have  said,  hastily 
selected  from  a  very  small  number  of  others  happening 
to  be  at  hand. 


"  TARKYTOWN,  May  22d,  1863. 
"  MR.  J.  B.  ABBOTT,  Assist.  Special  Relief  Agent. 

"  DEAR  SIR,  —  Yours  of  the  20th  came  to  hand,  to 
gether  with  the  draft  for  ninety-two  -^fa  dollars,  being 
the  amount  due  from  the  Government  to  Thaddeus 
Seymour  Davis,  my  son,  (who  is  now  dead,)  for  services 
rendered  in  32d  New  York  State  Volunteers.  I  thank 
you  for  your  kindness  in  this  matter,  and  I  know  that 
many  poor  fellows  bless  you  who  have  been  the  recipi 
ents  of  your  kindness,  and  God  will  bless  those  whose 


294  APPENDIX  L. 

mission  it  is  to  bind  up  the  wounds  and  minister  to  the 
needy  in  this  holy  cause. 

"  Believe  me  truly  yours, 
(Signed)  "  G.  T.  DAVIS." 

"  WILLIAMS  BURG,  LONG  ISLAND,  Feb.  Qth,  1863. 
"To  THE  SAME. 

"  SIR,  —  With  grateful  feeling  I  acknowledge  the  re 
ceipt  of  yours  of  February  6th,  enclosing  the  draft  for 
the  amount  due  my  dear  brother.1  You  have  conferred 
a  great  favor  on  us.  Accept  the  sincere  thanks  of  my 
widowed  mother  —  mine  also  — for  your  kindness.  May 
I  ask  you,  if  not  too  great  an  intrusion  on  your  time,  to 
tell  me  what  means  my  mother  should  take  to  secure 
the  bounty  to  which  my  brother  was  entitled.  If  your 
time  does  not  admit,  then  do  not  give  it  a  thought. 
Present  my  compliments  to  the  gentleman  who  accom 
panied  you  to  the  hospital,  (I  did  not  ascertain  his 
name.)  I  am  much  indebted  for  his  kindness,  and 
yours  too. 

"  Yours  with  much  respect, 

(Signed)  "  MARGARET  E.  CURRAN." 

"  ST.  PAUL,  MINNESOTA,  August  13th,  1863. 
"  MR.  FOWLER,  Chief  Clerk   U.  S.  Sanitary  Commis 
sion,  Washington. 

k'  DEAR  SIR, — Yours  of  the  4th  and  6th  were  received 
yesterday.  I  sincerely  thank  you  for  the  kind  spirit 
which  you  have  manifested,  and  the  trouble  which  you 
have  taken  to  assist  me.  May  heaven  reward  you,  for 
earth  is  too  poor.  I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  of  Rev. 
Mr.  K.'s  illness ;  please  give  him  my  best  respects.  'T  is 
no  wonder  he  broke  down  ;  his  labors  were  severe.  I 


APPENDIX  L.  295 

hope  he  may  soon  recover.     I  shall  follow  your  kind 
advice  relative  to  my  pension.    May  God  bless  you  and 
your  noble  associates,  is  the  fervent  prayer  of 
"  Yours  truly, 

"JOHN  T.  HALSTED." 

To  the  Ladies  who  direct  the  Affairs  or  contribute  to 
the  Funds  of  the  Cleveland  Branch  of  the  United 
States  Sanitary  Commission. 

"  I  want  to  thank  you.  I  was  wounded  at  Stone's 
River  on  the  last  day  of  December,  1862.  Since  then 
I  have  run  the  gauntlet  of  the  hospitals  from  Murfrees- 
boro  to  Cleveland.  At  every  stage  of  my  painful  prog 
ress  I  was  the  grateful  recipient  of  your  priceless  gifts. 
I  owe  the  preservation  of  my  life  to  a  bottle  of  black 
berry  cordial,  which  was  labelled  '  Cleveland,'  and  sent 
to  me  by  Mr.  Atwater,  Agent  of  the  United  States  San 
itary  Commission,  at  Murfreesboro.  It  came  to  me  at 
a  time  when  I  had  scarcely  any  vitality  left.  It  restored 
ray  appetite,  which  I  had  lost  entirely.  That  wine  could 
not  have  been  bought  with  money,  —  it  was  made  and 
given  by  some  great-hearted  countrywoman.  God  bless 
her! 

"  When  I  left  Nashville  the  hospitals  were  well  sup 
plied,  and  the  rooms  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  were 
filled  and  overflowing.  May  they  never  be  empty  until 
the  war  shall  close. 

"  Yours,  respectfully, 

"S.  W.  SHANKLAND." 


296  APPENDIX  L. 

From  a  report  of  Mr.  Knapp,  Special  Relief  Agent. 

"  There  is  one  other  point  which,  although  not  strictly 
connected  with  sanitary  affairs,  seems  to  me  worthy  of 
mention.  Among  these  thousand  and  more  of  sick  men 
whom  we  have  had  in  charge,  I  have  met  scarcely  one 
whose  anxiety  for  renewed  health  did  not  seem  actually 
to  centre  chiefly  upon  this  idea,  namely,  to  have  strength 
enough  to  fight  for  his  country.  Hundreds  of  those 
men  go  home  with  a  feeling  of  bitter  disappointment, 
to  think  that  they  can  never  strike  that  blow  in  their 
country's  cause  for  which  their  arm  and  heart  both  were 
once  so  strong,  while  now  the  arm  is  palsied.  I  am 
more  and  more  impressed,  not  merely  with  the  patience 
of  these  men,  but  with  their  deep-seated  spirit  of  pa 
triotism.  I  am  convinced  that  many  persons  in  the 
community  attribute  to  a  mere  love  of  excitement  and 
to  the  attractiveness  of  a  military  life  what  ought  to  be 
credited  to  a  genuine,  earnest  purpose.  I  have  had 
peculiar  opportunity  here  to  get  at  the  real  feelings  of 
a  great  many  of  these  men,  and  I  see  more  and  more 
how  strong  and  real  a  current  of  life  flows  down  south 
ward  from  our  northern  hills.  Again  and  again  have  I 
wished  that  all  doubting  or  lukewarm  patriots  could 
witness  some  of  these  scenes,  which,  to  my  eye,  have  so 
much  real  pathos  in  them,  —  men  returning  to  their 
friends  and  their  homes  simply  to  die,  yet  without  a 
complaint  or  regret,  except  that  they  were  too  weak  to 
bear  arms.  Even  those  men  who  were  prisoners  at 
Richmond,  but  who  have  now  been  allowed  to  return, 
(as  they  are  maimed  for  life,  nearly  every  one  having 
lost  a  limb,)  even  these  men  utter  no  complaints.  There 
have  been  ten  of  them  with  us  the  past  two  weeks,  get- 


APPENDIX  L.  297 

ting  their  papers  of  discharge  and  of  pension,  yet  I  have 
not  heard  a  murmur  from  one.  It  has  seemed  to  me 
right,  in  my  report,  to  give  this  measure  of  testimony. 

"I  will  append  to  this  report  one  letter  of  many, 
which,  although  addressed  to  me  personally,  belongs  to 
the  Commission  and  to  the  public,  whose  charities  I  am 
allowed  to  bestow.  The  letter  is  printed  just  as  it  was 
received :  — 

"  Sept.  the  29  —61. 

"  DEAR  SIR,  on  account  of  a  feeling  of  gratitud  tow 
ards  you  I  sit  down  to  write  a  few  lines  to  you  —  to 
let  you  know  that  my  son  arrived  home  on  the  24th  in 
very  feeble  health,  about  the  same  as  when  he  left  your 
House  —  &  stil  remains  as  week  with  verry  bad  Cough 
—  when  I  herd  him  tel  of  the  kind  treatment  he  re- 
ceaved  from  you  an  entire  Stranger  and  the  kindness 
you  Showd  him,  and  the  things  you  gave  him  —  I  could 
not  refrain  from  Sheding  tears  of  Gratitude  I  feel  as 
though  he  found  a  friend  in  need  which  is  a  friend  in 
deed. 

"  I  feel  as  though  Heaven  would  Reward  you  for 
your  kindness  —  it  would  be  a  pleasure  to  me  to  See 
Such  a  good  Soul —  as  it  is  not  money  you  was  after  I 
beg  you  to  accept  our  cincere  thanks  and  may  God  bless 
you  —  if  We  never  meet  on  Earth  may  God  prepair  me 
to  meet  you  in  Heaven 

"  Yours  truly     this  from  your  obedient  Servant " 


"PS  my  son  will  write  you  Soon  if  able     Excuse 
my  poor  ignorant  letter  " 

"  Did  circumstances  call  for  it,  I  could  add  many  simi 
lar  assurances  of  gratitude,  which  come  from  humble 


298  APPENDIX  L. 

homes,  indeed,  but  from  wives  and  parents  who  appre 
ciate  kindness  bestowed  upon  husbands  and  sons.* 
"  Respectfully, 

"  FRED'K  N.  KNAPP. 
"  Special  Relief  Agent  of  Sanitary  Commission" 

From  a  sister  who  carried  home  living  a  brother  who 
had  lain  for  some  time  at  the  point  of  death.  After 
giving  an  account  of  the  journey,  she  says :  — 

"  James  says,  though  he  wanted  to  get  away,  and  he 
is  at  home  now  with  all  the  family,  he  almost  wishes  he 
was  back  where  he  had  so  much  that  was  kind  done 
for  him.  He  says,  <  Tell  them,  if  I  ever  do  any  good  in 
my  life  it  belongs  to  them,  for  they  saved  my  life  and 
showed  me  what  it  was  to  be  good.' 

"  And  I  '11  never  forget  your  kindness  for  giving  me 
board  and  lodging,  and  so  enable  me  to  stay  near  my 
dear  brother."  .... 

A  man  writing  from  the  Army,  says  :  "  We  soldiers 
know  best  what  the  Commission  is.  You  all  see  it,  but 
we  feel  it.  I  bless  the  Sanitary  Commission  every  time 
I  see  its  name  posted  up  —  or  think  of  it." 

from  a  private    soldier    (name   unknown)  in  a  ward 

of  a  General  Hospital. 

"  DEAR  LADY,  —  Please  pardon  me,  but  I  must  say 
God  bless  you.  I  have  watched  you  as  you  pass.  I 
have  witnessed  with  heartfelt  gratitude  your  kindness 
and  sympathy  for  the  poor,  sick,  and  dying  soldiers.  I 
am  one  of  those  who  love  humanity;  —  and  may  the 

*  See  a  little  pamphlet  published  by  the  Sanitary  Commission 
called  u  The  Lord  will  provide." 


APPENDIX  L.  299 

heavenly  influences  of  the  departed  loved  ones  ever  be 
with  you,  is  my  prayer.  God  bless  you. 

"  FROM  A  SOLDIER. 

11  July  23rf,  1863." 

The  following  poem  was  addressed  to  Mrs.  • ,  by 

a  private  of  the  16th  Regt.  New  York  Vols.  He  had 
been  in  her  care  on  board  of  a  Commission  boat  at 
White  House.  After  he  returned  to  the  regiment  he 
sent  her  these  lines.  Surely  no  lady  has  ever  received 
a  more  graceful  acknowledgment  of  kindness:  — 

From  old  St.  Paul  till  now, 

Of  honorable  women  not  a  few 

Have  left  their  golden  ease  in  love  to  do 

The  saintly  work  which  Christlike  hearts  pursue. 

And  such  an  one  art  tliou,  —  God's  fair  apostle, 
Bearing  His  love  in  war's  horrific  train ; 
Thy  blessed  feet  follow  its  ghastly  pain, 
And  misery,  and  death,  without  disdain. 

To  one  borne  from  the  sullen  battle's  roar, 
Dearer  the  greeting  of  thy  gentle  eyes, 
When  he  aweary,  torn,  and  bleeding  lies, 
Than  all  the  glory  that  the  victors  prize. 

When  peace  shall  come,  and  homes  shall  smile  again, 
A  thousand  soldier-hearts  in  northern  climes 
Shall  tell  their  little  children  in  their  rhymes 
Of  the  sweet  saint  who  blessed  the  old  war-times. 
On  the  Cliickaliominy, 

June  12^/1862. 


- 


Q3VI3D3H 

t  s 


